₦airaland Forum

36 Lawmakers in Court Today Insist Obasa's Impeachment Was Constitutional; Case Adjourned to March 10

–Lagos Reporters

The ongoing leadership crisis in the Lagos State House of Assembly has taken a dramatic turn as 36 lawmakers have stood firm in their counterclaims that the impeachment of Speaker Mudashiru Obasa was constitutional. At the Ikeja High Court on Friday, Justice Yetunde Pinheiro adjourned the case to March 10, directing all parties to file and serve their processes ahead of the next hearing.

The suit, filed by Obasa, challenges his removal from office on January 13, 2025, over allegations of fraud, high-handedness, abuse of office, and gross misconduct. Obasa’s lead counsel, Afolabi Fasanu (SAN), argued that his client was denied a fair hearing during the impeachment process, asserting that “the allegations contained in the notice of his removal must still be addressed.”

In contrast, the legal team representing 34 lawmakers, led by Romeo Ese-Michael, maintained that Obasa’s removal was valid under Section 92 of the 1999 Constitution and in line with the Assembly’s rules. “Even if the claimant withdraws his suit due to his reinstatement, our counterclaim still stands,” Ese-Michael stated, emphasizing that the lawmakers seek judicial affirmation of the impeachment.

Obasa was initially removed from office on January 13, 2025, with his then-deputy, Mojisola Meranda, stepping in as Speaker. However, following Meranda’s resignation on March 3, Obasa was reinstated, a move that has only deepened the power struggle within the Assembly.

With both sides holding their ground, the forthcoming court ruling on March 10 is expected to shape the future leadership dynamics of the Lagos State House of Assembly.

Lagos Reporters will continue to monitor this evolving story and provide exclusive updates as the political saga unfolds.

rinzaugustine:
Lol same courts owned by Emilokan or another one? all these unnecessary holy wood drama created by mandate thief to distract Nigerians from his woeful failures until he starts his second term campaign for elections

jameshankss:
Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, has said he is sure the candidate of Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Obi, would lose the 2023 presidential election. Soludo said he would not submit to the bullying of Obi’s supporters, who recently descended on him for addressing issues in the state.

The governor made the comments in a lengthy write-up personally authored, with the title, “History Beckons, and I Will Not Be Silent (Part 1).”

Soludo said Obi was inadvertently making the pathway to victory much easier for the presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, and at the same time, toying with the destiny of millions of Ndigbo.

But the chief spokesperson for the Labour Party Presidential Campaign, Yunusa Tanko, accused Soludo of being sponsored by some unknown persons to weaken the base of the party in the South-east.

The former CBN governor had been under intense attack for close to a week for dismissing Obi’s investment in the state as amounting to nothing, during a television interview.

Soludo said in the write-up, “My attention has been drawn to some of the tirades on social media following my frank response during an interview on Channels TV regarding the ‘investments’ Mr. Peter Obi claimed to have made with Anambra State revenues.

“Sadly, several of the comments left the issue of the interview to probe or suggest motives, inferred from my response on ‘investment’ that I am opposed to Peter Obi’s ambition and, therefore, committed a ‘crime’ for which the punishment is internecine abuse and harassment, even to my family.

“Everyone knows that I don’t follow the winds or one to succumb to bullies, or shy away from a good fight especially, when weighty matters of principles and future of the people are involved.”

Soludo said he had urged Obi to return to his former party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), to actualise his presidential bid. He added that he had always told the LP candidate to his face that he was not capable of winning the 2023 presidential election, especially, under LP, which had neither a councillor nor a local government chairman.

Soludo said Obi was not just his friend, but also his brother, but despite that, they have their political differences.

He stated, “For full disclosure, let me state that Peter Obi and I are not just friends, we call ourselves ‘brothers’. But we have political differences: he left APGA for PDP after his tenure as governor, while I have remained in APGA since 2013.

“During the last two governorship elections in Anambra in 2017 and 2021, he led the PDP campaigns but APGA won landslide in both elections. By the way, in 2016, he visited and proposed that I defect to PDP and contest the 2017 election against the incumbent Willie Obiano, but I declined.

“After my victory in November 2021, he called to congratulate me, as I did to him in 2010. That is the Anambra way: we fight fiercely during campaigns but share drinks at the next social events. After all, it was the Great Zik of Africa, who taught us that in politics, there are no permanent friends or permanent enemies but only permanent interests.”

Arguing that Obi’s presidential bid would only work in favour of Tinubu, Soludo said, “Indeed, if I were Asiwaju Tinubu, I would even give Peter Obi money as someone heading one of the departments of his campaign, because Obi is making Tinubu’s pathway to victory much easier by indirectly pulling down PDP.”

Obi, according to Soludo, would only deplete the votes of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and pave the path for an APC victory.

He stated, “The current fleeting frenzy, if not checked, will cost Ndigbo dearly for years. The South-east has the lowest number of votes of any region, but it is also the only region where the presidential race might be a four-way race (it is a two-way race in the other five regions) thereby, ensuring that our votes won’t count in the making of the next president of Nigeria.

https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2022/11/15/soludo-i-wont-succumb-to-bullies-obi-knows-he-cant-win/

Housing:
@press9jatv kindly add the link/source.

Housing:
@press9jatv kindly add the link/source.

anonimi:
How is T-Pain a mandate thief when Pandora Bitter Obi and his tribal, headless mob unwittingly gave him nearly 100% votes in the five south yeastern Biafurọ states? If you are intelligent about your claim, then explain HOW the master plan owner of Lagos is a mandate thief.

Christistruth02:
So who were the Lawmakers that voted Obasa back into office with a majority then?