The Lagos State House of Assembly crisis took another turn yesterday as reinstated Speaker Mudashiru Obasa filed a corruption case against his brief successor Mrs Mojisola Meranda at an Ikeja High Court.
Among other prayers Obasa urged the court to expunge Meranda’s name as a former Speaker.
Obasa was impeached on January 13 over allegations of fraud high-handedness abuse of office and gross misconduct.
He challenged his removal in court.
The respondents in the matter, comprising members of the Lagos Assembly and Meranda, were prclaims
During Monday’s resumed hearing, the Lead Counsel for the Assembly, Mr. Femi Falana SAN, notified the court that Obasa’s legal team, led by Mr. Afolabi Fasanu, SAN, had submitted supplementary affidavits.
The documents contained fresh allegations of fraud against Meranda. Consequently, Meranda’s counsel, Mr. Tayo Oyetibo, SAN, requested an adjournment to respond adequately to the new claims.
“There are serious fraud allegations in the further affidavits my learned brother (Femi Falana) referred to. We shall be asking for an adjournment to respond to the new application,” Oyetibo said.
Obasa’s unilateral attempt to change the legal representation for the House of Assembly in the case sparked a confrontation in court, where Mr. Olusola Idowu, SAN, announced his appearance as incoming counsel for the Assembly, but Falana raised an objection, citing a Court of Appeal decision that required a trial court to first hear an application for change of counsel before entertaining any other submissions, and Justice Yetunde Pinheiro subsequently ruled that all applications and processes must be heard together on the next adjourned date.
Pinheiro said, “All the applications will be taken at once. All applications, including those seeking injunction and those challenging jurisdiction, will be heard on March 17.
“The application regarding the change of counsel will also be heard on Monday, along with the counter-application.”
The case has been rescheduled until March 17 for the purpose of hearing the numerous applications filed by the parties.
