The Lagos State High Court has heard an application regarding the change of counsel representing the Lagos State House of Assembly in the lawsuit filed by the reinstated Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, who is challenging his removal from office.
Justice Yetunde Pinheiro took a stance on the matter despite a counter-argument from Femi Falana (SAN), the counsel representing the House of Assembly, who had sought a stay of proceedings due to the appeal he filed against a previous ruling by a lower court.
Justice Pinheiro overruled Falana’s submission, emphasizing that the application for a change of counsel pertains to the House’s desire to have a different legal representative, as Falana is currently acting for the first defendant in the case.
Lead counsel Olusola Idowu (SAN), who is seeking to replace Falana, argued that the House has the inherent right to change its legal representation at any point. He also cited an order from the National Industrial Court, Lagos, which had directed the reinstatement of the suspended Clerk, Olalekan Onafeko. Onafeko has since engaged a new legal team to represent the House.
However, Falana countered, stating that he had not been formally debriefed by the House and that the Industrial Court did not, as claimed, order Onafeko’s reinstatement.
Counsel for the former Speaker, Mojisola Meranda, Abimbola Akeredolu (SAN), requested the court to dismiss the application for a change of counsel, as it concerns the substantive issues of the case, which are still in dispute.A ruling on the application has been scheduled for 2:00 PM today.
Meanwhile, Olu Daramola (SAN), representing the 33 lawmakers (out of the 40 total) who are defendants in the case, stated that the majority of the lawmakers had voted to suspend Onafeko and briefed Falana to represent the House. He also clarified that the Industrial Court’s order had been misinterpreted, as Onafeko has not been recalled.