Lagos, Nigeria – The protracted leadership and administrative crisis rocking the prestigious Lagos Country Club (LCC), Ikeja, has taken a dramatic legal turn following the voluntary recusal of Justice A. Lewis-Allagoa of the Federal High Court.
Presiding over the Lagos Judicial Division at the newly commissioned court complex on Bourdillon Road, Ikoyi, Justice Lewis-Allagoa stepped down from Suit No. FHC/LA/CS/876/2026, involving legal luminary Babatunde A. Moshood Fashanu, SAN, and the Incorporated Trustees of Lagos Country Club alongside 23 others.
The development stems from a Motion on Notice filed by Fashanu on June 1, 2026, which urged the court to transfer the matter to another judge.
The plaintiff cited a real likelihood of judicial bias and raised grave concerns regarding consistency, pointing to conflicting orders issued across earlier related proceedings concerning the club’s internal governance.
Although the transfer application was slated for hearing, Justice Lewis-Allagoa opted to recuse himself, noting that the plaintiff lacked confidence in his continued adjudication of the dispute, and directed that the case file be forwarded for immediate reassignment.
Anatomy of the Legal Impasse:
At the core of the multi-suit legal contest is a battle over the management and administrative control of the club, situated at 2, Joel Ogunnaike Street, GRA, Ikeja. Fashanu, a senior advocate and long-standing club member (Membership No. D9463), instituted Suit No. FHC/L/CS/1792/2024 to challenge an earlier Consent Judgment delivered on July 4, 2024, in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/321/2024.
According to court filings, Justice Lewis-Allagoa had previously issued three separate status-quo orders on October 22, 2024, November 6, 2024, and January 23, 2025, mandating parties to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the 1792 suit.
However, the plaintiff alleged that during the pendency of these restraining orders, the 1st defendant (Incorporated Trustees) and other respondents entered into Terms of Settlement on July 8, 2025, culminating in a fresh Consent Judgment on July 16, 2025, in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/1886/2024.
Fashanu contended that the subsequent 1886 Consent Judgment was obtained through fraudulent non-disclosure and material misrepresentation, as it failed to disclose the active pendency of his 1792 suit and the subsisting status-quo orders.
He argued that the judgment effectively validated actions taken in direct contravention of court orders, including disputed Management Committee elections that produced the 22nd defendant as president for a fresh tenure, constitutional amendments, and the disbursement of tens of millions of Naira in club funds.
Grounds for Recusal and Constitutional Concerns:
In his supporting written address, Fashanu invoked Section 36(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), arguing that the 1886 Consent Judgment amounted to an indirect pre-determination of his substantive suit and a gross breach of his fundamental right to a fair hearing.
Relying on established judicial authorities such as Estisione H. (Nig.) Ltd. v. Osun State Govt. and Dumez (Nig.) Plc v. UBA Plc, the plaintiff maintained that the issuance of conflicting orders on identical subject matters by the same bench created an untenable perception of pre-judgment and a real likelihood of bias, necessitating judicial withdrawal to preserve the purity of the streams of justice.
Next Steps:
While Justice Lewis-Allagoa’s recusal does not delve into the substantive merits of Fashanu’s allegations, which the court must still determine, it marks a critical procedural milestone in the prolonged legal saga.
The case has been sent back for administrative reassignment to another judge of the Federal High Court, Lagos Judicial Division, leaving club members and legal observers awaiting the next chapter in the battle for the soul of the Lagos Country Club.
Affidavit in support: 👇
Written Address in Support of Motion on Notice:👇
Motion on Notice:👇
Originating Summon:👇
