The Lagos High Court in Ikeja has directed that all members of the Lagos State House of Assembly be included as parties in the lawsuit filed by the contested Speaker, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa.
Justice Yetunde Pinheiro issued the order after considering two applications filed by some Assembly members seeking to be joined in the case.
Represented by Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Olu Daramola and Dada Awosika, these lawmakers, who were initially not listed as defendants in Obasa’s suit, requested to be added as parties to the proceedings.
Obasa filed the suit to contest his removal by at least 35 lawmakers on January 13, 2025. In an application dated February 12, 2025, filed through his lawyer, Chief Afolabi Fashanu (SAN), Obasa claimed he was ousted while he was out of the country.
During Friday’s proceedings, Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Tayo Oyetibo and Bimbo Akeredolu, along with other lawyers, represented Speaker Hon. Mojisola Meranda.
Similarly, Femi Falana (SAN), supported by Muiz Banire (SAN) and other counsels, appeared on behalf of the 34 lawmakers loyal to Meranda, while Olu Daramola (SAN) and Dada Awosika (SAN) represented other Assembly members seeking to join the case.
There was also a mild drama in court when another counsel, Abang Mkpandiok got up to challenge Falana’s representation of the Lagos State House of Assembly
Mkpandiok stated that he was briefed by the Assembly the previous night and had filed a motion for a change of counsel earlier in the day.
He emphasized that the choice of legal representation is a fundamental human right and requested the court to prioritize his application.
In response, Mr. Femi Falana objected, asserting that he had not been served and remained the counsel on record for the Assembly. Similarly, Mr. Tayo Oyetibo also confirmed that he had not received the application.
Mkpandiok subsequently opted to serve the application to the other counsel present in court.
After reviewing the court’s records, Justice Yetunde Pinheiro ruled that the application for a change of counsel was not yet ready for hearing.
The court said, “As counsel himself has admitted, that application has not been served on all parties, I’ll defer same pending compliance with the court’s rules.
The court also held that the application for accelerated hearing would not be taken today.
The court has adjourned till March 7 to hear all pending applications in the matter.
After the proceedings, Meranda while speaking to journalists denied that she had resigned. She also condemned what she said was the invasion of the house on Thursday by the removed Speaker, Obasa.
On the issue of her security details, Mrs Meranda told journalists that her security which includes 12 police officers and four DSS operatives, has not been fully restored, as she presently has only four police officers attached to her.