Lagos House of Assembly
Lagos Assembly Denies Rumors of Mass Defection to Labour Party
The Lagos State House of Assembly has refuted claims that 27 of its members are planning to defect from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the opposition Labour Party (LP).
A statement on Wednesday, by Ogundipe Olukayode, Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Strategy, and Security, dismissed the reports as “false, misleading, and a deliberate attempt to misinform the public.”
The Assembly described the rumors as an effort to “sow discord and confusion within the Assembly and among the people of Lagos State.” This comes amid ongoing leadership tensions within the legislature, following the removal of Mudashiru Obasa as Speaker and the election of Mojisola Meranda as his successor.
Earlier in the week, armed security personnel from the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services were deployed to the Assembly complex, allegedly to prevent Speaker Meranda from entering the chamber for several hours.
When she eventually presided over the plenary, she became emotional as lawmakers passed a vote of confidence in her leadership.
The Assembly clarified that the leadership dispute is an internal matter and does not indicate any intention by members to leave the APC.
“We emphasise, without any ambiguity, that no member of the Assembly is contemplating defection,” the statement stated.
“We were elected under the leadership of the ruling party, which remains united and focused on delivering its mandate to the people of Lagos State.”
The Assembly attributed the false reports to “agents of destabilisation” seeking to create unnecessary tension and division. Over 36 of the 40 lawmakers have pledged loyalty to Speaker Meranda, while Obasa has challenged his removal in court, calling it illegal.
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