By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The National Industrial Court sitting in Lagos has ordered the reinstatement of the fired Clerk of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Olalekan Onafeko.
The order follows an ex parte application to the Court made by Onafeko through his counsel, Yusuf Nurudeen, in a case he filed against Lagos State Government, Lagos State Civil Service Commission, Lagos State House of Assembly Service Commission, The Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Attorney-General of Lagos State and Mr. Ottun Babatunde.
Onafeko was the Clerk of the House before January 13 when Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa was removed as Speaker, with the then Deputy Speaker, Mojisola Lasbat Meranda elected as the new Speaker.
Obasa’s removal, a decision that sparked controversy within the Lagos House and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), also led to Onafeko losing his position, with Babatunde Ottun appointed as his acting replacement.
The claimant in the suit marked: NICN/LA/23/2025 sought for an interim injunction restraining the six defendants from parading any individual including Babatunde as the clerk pending the hearing of the motion on notice for Interlocutory injunction already filed in the suit.
Granting the application, Justice M. N. Esowe in an ex parte order directed that Babatunde should cease to parade himself as Clerk
Esowe ordered that that what was in place in terms of the person in the saddle of the Clerk Office prior to the crisis rocking the House of Assembly should now prevail.
“That both parties shall maintain the peace and status quo ante bellum until the motion on notice is heard and determined,” Esowe ordered.
The judge slated the hearing of the motion on notice for March 3, 2024.