Lagos Assembly Crisis Deepens As Legal Battles Stall Legislative Activities

The leadership crisis currently rocking the Lagos State House of Assembly shows no sign of resolution, with the possibility of resuming plenary sessions anytime soon appearing bleak.

The ongoing litigation between Speaker Mudashiru Obasa and 36 lawmakers has effectively brought the legislative process to a standstill.

The latest adjournment in the case, which was heard at the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, on Monday, March 17, has sparked growing uncertainty about the future of the House.

Despite expectations that the matter would be resolved and business would resume, the case proceeded without any indication of a resolution. The court adjourned with no clear end in sight, leaving legislative activities suspended indefinitely.

Before the case resumed, there had been optimism after a weekend meeting at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja, where President Bola Tinubu called the warring factions of the Lagos Assembly to order.

The lawmakers left the meeting chanting “on your mandate we shall stand,” suggesting a breakthrough. However, the subsequent court proceedings revealed no signs of withdrawal, with the case continuing as usual.

As the legal battle unfolds, the essential business of lawmaking remains halted. This situation has raised concerns, particularly since there is no defined number of plenary sessions for state assemblies like there is for the House of Representatives at the federal level.

Observers are worried that if the case drags on throughout the year, it will further delay the legislative duties of the Assembly and jeopardize governance in Lagos.

A major challenge to resuming plenary is whether lawmakers will cooperate with Speaker Obasa, especially with 36 of them currently at odds with him.

Only a handful of Obasa’s supporters, four members are likely to attend plenary, which falls far short of the quorum needed to conduct official business. This situation could render any decisions made in plenary invalid.

Despite the turmoil, the Lagos Assembly has held more sessions this year than it did in the same period last year. However, the sessions have been sporadic, with limited activity due to a six-week break and Ramadan.

Speaker Obasa’s sessions, particularly his return after his impeachment and reinstatement, have been marked by controversy, with security operatives invading the Assembly and the resignation of his replacement, Hon. Meranda.

Concerns Over External Interference

Legal experts and political observers have expressed concern over the external influence and interference in the Assembly’s proceedings.

The Editor of Nigeria Weekly Law Report, Oluwole Kehinde who spoke with The Nation stated that the situation reflected poorly on the independence of the Lagos State Assembly. He argued that political maneuvering at the expense of the public interest damages the integrity of democratic institutions.

Kehinde emphasized, “My position surrounding the whole issue of the Lagos State House of Assembly is a picture that shows that the Assembly itself is not independent and that all is not well. It erodes public confidence in the institution.

“Moreover, the intervention by external forces in an open and brazen manner dictating what the assembly should do and how they should go about their business does not portend a good future for democracy. And I think that it is certainly not the best for our system.

“To me, it is not right, it is not proper and it is condemnable. Unfortunately, nobody cares about what happens again around our political institutions because it is either people are settled or people are looking for what to benefit or people who have good intentions are shut out and all you have is promotion of political interest at the expense of the public interests and good governance.

“At the end of the day, our politicians and their supporters benefit while society suffers.”

Activist and lawyer, Monday Ubani, advised the lawmakers to put aside their differences and prioritize the interests of the state.

He warned that continued inaction would only harm Lagos and hinder the legislative process.

“If they have cases in court, that means they have not been doing their legislative duties. The state will suffer for it,” he said. Ubani urged the factions to reach a compromise for the good of Lagos.