Chief Afolabi Fashanu (SAN), legal counsel for Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker Mudashiru Obasa, has once again dismissed rumors that Obasa will drop the lawsuit against former Speaker Mojisola Meranda and fellow Assembly members. Speaking in an interview with Journalists on Sunday, Fashanu emphasized that the legal team is awaiting the court’s judgment and that Obasa has no plans to withdraw the case.
This comes despite recent efforts by President Bola Tinubu to resolve the leadership conflict at the Lagos Assembly, which included reports that Obasa’s withdrawal of the lawsuit was part of the proposed settlement. The lawsuit, filed by Obasa to challenge his removal on January 13, 2025, is currently being heard by Justice Yetunde Pinheiro of the Lagos State High Court. On March 17, 2025, the judge reserved judgment after hearing preliminary objections from the defendants.
Fashanu clarified, “We have concluded our arguments; Obasa is not withdrawing the case.” He further explained that the legal team is simply waiting for the court’s judgment, which will be communicated at an unspecified time.
Otunba Henry Ajomale, a former chairman of the Lagos APC, speculated on Saturday that Obasa would eventually withdraw the lawsuit due to President Tinubu’s intervention. However, Fashanu firmly denied this claim, stressing that the matter would proceed as planned.
The leadership struggle, which led to Meranda’s brief tenure as Speaker, had been ongoing, with Obasa fighting to reclaim his position. After intervention from the national leadership of the APC, Obasa was reinstated, and all 40 members of the Assembly met with President Tinubu in Abuja on March 12, 2025, to resolve the crisis.
Meanwhile, the Assembly remains on indefinite adjournment since March 3, 2025, with the Clerk, Ottun Babatunde, stating that the House is expected to reconvene after the Sallah break.
