The National Industrial Court in Lagos has dismissed Ottun Babatunde, the acting clerk of the House, appointed by Speaker Mojisola Meranda, and ordered the reinstatement of the former clerk, Olalekan Onafeko. This decision follows an ex parte application filed by Onafeko’s lawyer, Yusuf Nurudeen, against the Lagos State Government, the Civil Service Commission, the House of Assembly Service Commission, the Speaker, the Attorney-General, and Babatunde.
Onafeko had been the clerk before January 13, when Speaker Obasa was removed. The suit, marked NICN/LA/23/2025, sought an injunction to prevent any individual, including Babatunde, from acting as the clerk until the hearing of the motion on notice. Justice M. N. Esowe granted the injunction, ordering Babatunde to cease acting as Clerk and maintain the status quo until further proceedings. A hearing for March 3, 2024, has been scheduled.
This development adds another twist to the ongoing crisis in the Lagos Assembly, which began with Obasa’s removal. The assembly adjourned indefinitely on February 12 after tensions arose when Department of State Services (DSS) personnel were present at the assembly. On February 17, three assembly workers were arrested for allegedly attacking DSS personnel.
The assembly, through acting clerk A.T.B. Ottun, had requested the DSS’s assistance in providing increased security. Following an investigation into the February 17 incident, DSS identified and arrested three suspects: Ibrahim Olanrewaju Abdulkareem, a photographer, and two members of the Assembly’s Sergeant-at-Arms, Adetu Adekunle Samsudeen and Adetola Oluwatosin Fatimoh. Despite their arrest, the suspects were later released on bail, as confirmed by human rights lawyer Femi Falana, SAN.
