Politics
LSHA: Obasa Optimistic Of Returning As Speaker Through Judiciary
The impeached Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly (LSHA), Mudashiru Obasa, is still nurturing high hopes of recovering his seat through the judiciary.
Obasa’s lead counsel, Chief Afolabi Fashanu (SAN), on Tuesday, according to The PUNCH expressed readiness for the court hearing fixed for February 28, notwithstanding the moves to resolve the Assembly crisis politically.
Fashanu also explained that Obasa does not plan to return to the Assembly until after he has obtained a judgment from the court.
According to Fashanu, it could amount to an illegal step for Obasa to return to the House pending the decision of the case, which is already before a court.
Recall that Obasa was removed by the majority of lawmakers on January 13, 2025, had earlier in February dragged the new Speaker, Mojisola Meranda, and the assembly to the state High Court in Ikeja, to seek redress.
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Biztellers reports that Obasa was removed as Speaker of the House, in absentia, while he was away in the United States of America.
Upon his return to Nigeria, on January 25, he promptly rejected his removal, citing illegalities in the approach of the about 36 lawmakers who removed him.
Obasa maintains that he iss still the Speaker of the House.
He told the media on Saturday, January 25, 2025, “My status in the house? I strongly believe I am still the Speaker until the right thing has been done. If you want to remove me, remove me the proper way and I will not contest it.”
His position is that the removal process failed to comply with the extant laws.
Since Obasa’s removal and Meranda’s emergence as the new Speaker, the Lagos Assembly has been embroiled in a crisis, which has proven difficult for the influential Governors Advisory Council (GAC) to resolve.
The failure of the GAC to harmonise position on the issue of LSHA Speaker, saw President Bola Ahmed Tinubu invite the intervention of former governors of Osun and Ogun states, Chief Bisi Akande and Aremo Olusegun Osoba, to wade in.
In this regard, the two leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) held marathon meetings with the parties in the crisis from Sunday through to Monday.
Insider sources reveal that the outcome of the meeting is an counsel that the two contenders, Obasa and Meranda should make way for another lawmaker from the Lagos West Senatorial District, to emerge as Speaker.
Part of the deal, it was learnt would be to prevail on Obasa to withdraw his suit against the lawmakers.
It was further learnt that Obasa would be asked to voluntarily resign and the panel is expected to brief President Tinubu on its intervention.
On if Obasa would be withdrawing the suit in court given the intervention of the APC leaders, his lawyer, Fashanu, said he had not been briefed by his client on such a move.
“Well, that intervention, for me, is still a rumour, because nothing of such has been communicated to us, as the legal team. So, what we all read in newspapers, we don’t even know the genuineness or authenticity of the news on the purported settlement.
“Our client has not communicated anything to us in the nature of withdrawal. So, we are still preparing for the case until otherwise.”
Restating the commitment of the legal team to champion Obasa’s case, Fashanu said, “Nothing is certain in life except death. All we can say is that, as lawyers, we will try our best to facilitate the cause of our clients.
“Don’t forget that we are not the judge that will decide the case. But on our part, we will put in our maximum effort, and we believe he has a very good case. So, subject to the overriding power of the deciding judge, we are good to go.”
On whether he thinks an amicable resolution would be better than going to court, Fashanu said he was not a politician and his client was in the better position to determine such.
“Let me first of all start by saying I am not a politician. So, the political aspect of it will probably be left to the players. But our client will be in a better position to know whether the terms of settlement that are being arranged will be in his best interest.”
When asked if Obasa would wait for the court ruling before he returns to the Assembly, the counsel said as a law-abiding citizen, “I don’t believe he would like to take any step that is illegal.”
According to him, Obasa’s return to the Assembly before the matter in court is decided would be illegal.
“That means he will be taking laws into his own hands, and I don’t think he would want to do that. If he had wanted to do that, I’m sure from day two or day three, he would have done that (returning to the House),” the lawyer pointed out.
He also noted that the defendants in the suit had not filed their response.
A source close to Obasa said he would not be resigning since “it has not gotten to that level.”
The judge to whom the suit filed by suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan was assigned at the Federal High Court, Abuja has stepped down from the matter.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu made the disclosure on Tuesday, in Abuja, explaining that his decision was informed by a petition questioning his impartiality, which was submitted by the Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The matter had been scheduled for hearing, however, when the court clerk called it up, the judge held that he was stepping aside.
He said he would return the case file to the Chief Judge, who would assign it to another judge.
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Recall that on March 4, 2025 Justice Egwuatu issued an interim order stopping the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions from proceeding with disciplinary actions against Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The embattled senator was accused of violating the Senate’s rules.
The judge ruled that the disciplinary process should be stood down, until the case was decided.
He also gave the defendants 72 hours to explain why the court should not stop them from investigating the senator without following the rules laid out in the 1999 Constitution, the Senate Standing Order 2023, and the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act.
In addition, Justice Egwuatu allowed the senator to serve legal documents on the defendants using substituted means.
The court ordered that the documents be given to the Clerk of the National Assembly or pasted at the National Assembly premises.
They were also to be published in two national newspapers.
The interim order came after the senator filed an urgent application.
However, despite the court’s ruling, the Senate Committee still held its meeting and suspended her for six months.
Later, after the defendants applied, Justice Egwuatu amended his earlier order.
He removed the part that prevented the Senate from taking any action while the case was ongoing.
Meanwhile, Akpabio’s legal team, led by Kehinde Ogunwumiju, questioned the court’s authority to interfere in Senate affairs.
The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has thrown its weight behind President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, arguing that decisive action was necessary to prevent further deterioration of the crisis.
Speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Lagos, NNPP National Chairman, Dr. Agbo Major, stressed that no responsible government would sit back and allow instability to escalate unchecked.
“President Tinubu is the Chief Security Officer of Nigeria. The information available to him as president from intelligence sources may not be in public purview,” Major said.
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He added that the decision to suspend the state government was based on the severity of the crisis, which could have worsened without swift intervention.
“The government in Rivers was suspended, and no one can actually say what would have happened by now, judging from the deepening crisis.
“The crisis was further compounded by some leaders who, instead of offering advice or promoting peace during the turmoil, allowed it to escalate before later stepping in to criticize,” he stated.
Major described the security situation in Rivers State as unacceptable, warning that it posed a threat to lives and property.
He defended President Tinubu’s leadership style, noting that making tough decisions, even when unpopular, was a mark of true governance.
“It was a difficult decision to remove the oil subsidy; one that no previous administration was willing to make, whether right or wrong. Tinubu took that step, and we are gradually emerging from the crisis, moving forward for the better,” he explained.
According to him, the government must have had access to intelligence beyond what was available in the public domain before making its decision.
“Six months or less of the emergency rule is in the interest of Rivers residents, democracy, and Nigeria. It is our hope that indigenes of the state shall be streetwise and disregard those with personal interests, who are crying foul,” Major added.
The NNPP chairman urged Nigerian leaders to be mindful of their statements, warning that inflammatory remarks could worsen tensions in Rivers State and affect national stability.
“The Renewed Hope Agenda for a greater Nigeria should be our focus. It is centered on hard work, trust, science and technology, agriculture, education, the rule of law, and more. Focus should be on constructive criticism that will make for greater performance,” he advised.
Addressing concerns about Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike’s involvement in Rivers politics, Major argued that Wike, as a former governor and indigene, naturally has interests in the state.
“Wike as a minister is neither the Inspector General of Police, Chairman of EFCC, Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Judge of the Federation, nor President of Nigeria. If our institutions are not compliant with their statutory functions, why can’t we leave Wike alone to live his life?”
He also emphasized that while opposition to government is vital for democracy, it must be constructive and aimed at fostering good governance.
“Opposition to the government at the center is the lifeblood of democracy and a catalyst for good governance when it is constructive and aimed at enhancing productivity.
“However, if opposition simply means dismissing everything the government does as wrong, then something is definitely amiss,” Major concluded.
Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo has expressed solidarity with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the state of emergency declared in Rivers State.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Edo State Governor, Fred Itua, vented this in a statement in Benin City on Thursday night, asserting that his principal was not consulted by his colleagues in the South-South Governors’ Forum before going public with their view.
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Itua wrote, “The position by the Governors of the South-South, opposing the declaration of a State of Emergency in Rivers State by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, did not get the nod of Governor Okpebholo. Governor Okpebholo was neither consulted nor informed.
“While Governor Monday Okpebholo acknowledges the right of other Governors in the South-South geopolitical zone to take a position, he, however dissociates himself from any statement that opposes the declaration of a State of Emergency in Rivers State by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces, understands the issues at stake.
“Governor Okpebholo supports actions so far taken by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that will bring lasting solutions and peace to Rivers State and the South-South geopolitical zone.”
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