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‘Lagos Assembly’ Obasa’s Court Victory Thwarts Peace Deal as House Remains Adjourned

The Lagos State House of Assembly has remained in limbo for weeks following its indefinite adjournment by Rt Hon. Mudashiru Obasa on March 3, 2025. The adjournment came immediately after Obasa’s controversial return to the Speaker’s chair, just 49 days after his purported impeachment by majority members. According to multiple sources, this extended hiatus reflects the unresolved political crisis that continues to grip both the legislature and the state as a whole, Apples Bite Magazine reports.

Last week’s ruling by Justice Yetunde Pinheiro of the Lagos High Court, which nullified Obasa’s impeachment as Speaker, was widely anticipated by political observers. The court declared the January 13 removal proceedings “illegal and unconstitutional,” validating Obasa’s argument that his removal occurred improperly while the Assembly was on recess and he was abroad.

Despite a high-level peace accord brokered by President Bola Tinubu—which included emissaries Chief Bisi Akande and Aremo Olusegun Osoba—Obasa allegedly reneged on agreements made during negotiations. The reconciliation deal reportedly stipulated that former Speaker Meranda would resign her position, followed by Obasa’s resignation after 48 hours to make way for a new Speaker from Lagos West. However, Obasa apparently pursued his court case regardless, seeking legal confirmation that his removal never validly occurred.

The pro-development group Agenda for New Lagos (ANL) has accused Obasa of orchestrating a “political gimmick” by tricking Assembly members into accepting his subsequent “re-election” only to adjourn proceedings indefinitely while awaiting the court judgment. According to ANL’s Protem Chairman Kamal Olorunnisola, the court ruling now implies that “he had never been removed while Meranda was never a Speaker,” potentially paving the way for the return of the previously removed Clerk.

Meanwhile, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s position appears increasingly precarious, with reports suggesting pressure for his resignation over his alleged role in the Assembly leadership crisis. Major General Tajudeen Olanrewaju (retd), Alternate Chairman of De Renaissance Patriots Foundation, issued a pointed warning to the Governor: “Watch your back because he is more possibly going to be the victim of this whole scenario where, by the Abuja action, Obasa has now been crowned as leader of APC in Lagos holding brief for the leader who is currently occupied with nation’s assignment in Abuja.”

The situation represents a significant setback for legislative governance in Lagos State, with the constitutional body remaining effectively paralysed amid ongoing power struggles between key political figures.

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