The Lagos High Court in Ikeja has declared that the controversial impeachment of reinstated Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, by lawmakers on January 13, is illegal and unconstitutional.

Following his impeachment in January over allegations of corruption while on a trip to the United States of America, Mr Obasa challenged his impeachment and subsequent appointment of Mojisola Meranda as his successor at the Ikeja High Court challenging his removal

In a judgment delivered by Justice Yetunde Pinheiro on Wednesday, the court also nullified the proceedings and resolutions of the House held on January 13, 2025, during which Mr Obasa was ousted, noting that the Lagos House of Assembly failed to follow due process on that day.

The court also awarded N500,000 as damages for unlawful and illegal removal of Mr Obasa and for the psychological embarrassment he suffered due to his removal.

The judgment also expunged the name of Ms Meranda from the official record of Lagos House of Assembly former speakers. Ms Meranda’s tenure as speaker lasted less than two months before she bowed to pressure by President Bola Tinubu and relinquished power to Mr Obasa,

The respondents in the suit objected that the court lacked the jurisdiction to review the proceedings of the state House of Assembly and challenged the court’s competence in the case.

However, Ms Pinheiro dismissed both objections, stating that, “a court of law can intervene where the provisions of the constitution have not been met during any proceedings of the house of assembly” 

Ms Pinheiro also cited the cases of Usman v Kaduna State House of Assembly, Agbaso Vs Imo State, and the Rivers State House of Assembly Vs Government of Rivers State to justify that a court has jurisdiction to intervene in cases where there is a lack of clarity in the provisions of the constitution.

“Citing the rules of the House of Assembly, the court ruled that no person other than the leaders of the House have the capacity to write to the speaker to convene a meeting of the assembly, noting that the chief whip is not a leader.

Subsequently, the court also ruled that the steps taken by the lawmakers to hurriedly reconvene a meeting of the house while the speaker was out of the country after it adjourned indefinitely was unconstitutional and activities conducted by the assembly on January 13 were illegal.