On Monday morning, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force stormed the Lagos State House of Assembly, sealing the offices of the Speaker, Mojisola Meranda, her deputy, and the House clerk.
By 10 AM, heavily armed security personnel had taken control of the premises at Alausa, Ikeja, frisking passersby in the vicinity. Meranda, however, arrived around 11:15 AM with her convoy.
The development follows legal action by the former Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, who is challenging his removal from office. Obasa has filed a suit at the Ikeja Division of the State High Court, seeking an expedited hearing. He was ousted in absentia by 32 of the 40 assembly members on January 13, 2025, while he was in the U.S. The move, described as a “coup” by President Bola Tinubu, has sparked controversy within the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos, with divisions over the legality of Obasa’s removal.
In his lawsuit, Obasa is contesting the constitutionality of his removal, naming the Lagos State House of Assembly and Speaker Mojisola Meranda as defendants. The motion, filed on February 12, 2025, seeks several orders, including an expedited hearing of the originating summons and a reduction in the time allowed for filing responses and replies.
Obasa’s legal team, led by Chief Afolabi Fashanu, SAN, argues that the case involves critical interpretations of the Constitution of Nigeria (1999, as amended) and the Lagos Assembly’s Rules and Standing Orders. Among the issues raised are the constitutionality of the January 13, 2025, sitting that led to Obasa’s removal, which occurred during the House’s recess without the Speaker’s authorization.
Obasa insists that the matter requires urgent resolution to prevent delays in legislative activities and asserts that an expedited hearing will not prejudice any party involved.
