The Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja has declared the January 13 impeachment of the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, as illegal and unconstitutional.
Justice Yetunde Pinheiro, in a judgment delivered on Wednesday, also nullified all proceedings and resolutions of the Assembly on the said date, ruling that due process was not followed by the lawmakers.
Obasa had been impeached while on a trip to the United States over alleged corruption and replaced with Mojisola Meranda. He, however, challenged the move in court.
The court not only invalidated the impeachment but also ordered that Meranda’s name be removed from the official records as a former speaker of the Assembly.
Meranda had relinquished the position less than two months into her controversial tenure following pressure from President Bola Tinubu.
Justice Pinheiro further awarded N500,000 in damages to Obasa for what she described as the unlawful and embarrassing removal from office.
In its ruling, the court dismissed objections by the respondents who argued that it lacked jurisdiction to interfere in the Assembly’s internal affairs.
The judge held that courts have the power to intervene when constitutional provisions are violated.
Justice Pinheiro noted that the Assembly’s reconvening during Obasa’s absence was unconstitutional, especially as it had earlier adjourned indefinitely.
She emphasised that only recognised leaders of the House, not the chief whip, have the authority to summon such a meeting.
The court concluded that the January 13 sitting and all its outcomes were illegal.
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