The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, has denied any involvement in the wave of protests that erupted following the All Progressives Congress (APC) legislative primaries in Lagos State, warning against attempts to use his name to fuel political unrest.
Obasa also dismissed claims linking him to demonstrations staged by aggrieved party members over the outcome of the APC House of Assembly primaries, describing such allegations as false, malicious, and misleading.
The Speaker’s reaction follows a protest by APC members from several local government areas, including Badagry, Mushin, Amuwo-Odofin, Eti-Osa, Somolu, Ajeromi-Ifelodun, and Oshodi-Isolo. The protesters converged at the party’s secretariat on ACME Road in Ikeja on Tuesday, alleging irregularities in the conduct of the primaries and the compilation of candidates’ lists.
The demonstrations are part of a series of protests that have trailed the release of candidates said to have emerged from the party’s legislative primary elections across the state.
Amid the growing controversy, messages circulated on WhatsApp accusing Obasa of allegedly providing N2 billion to sponsor protests in different parts of Lagos. However, the Speaker firmly denied the allegation, questioning the motive behind attempts to associate him with the unrest.
“It is foolhardy, malicious, misleading and baseless for anybody to assume or imply that I will import or mobilise protesters from different local governments to the secretariat. To achieve what exactly?” Obasa said.
He further noted that he was not a candidate in the disputed primaries and therefore had no reason to finance or coordinate protests.
“I am not a candidate in the disputed election, so why and how will I devote such an amount of money to organising protests?” he asked.
Reaffirming his loyalty to the ruling party, Obasa said he remained committed to maintaining peace and unity within the APC and cautioned against efforts to drag his office into activities capable of creating division.
“I am a peace-loving party man, and I abhor the use of my name and office for any form of illegality or to sow division within the party,” he stated.
The Speaker added that his priority remains the stability, unity, and continued progress of the APC and Lagos State.
“My steadfast commitment remains the unity, peace, and progress of our great party and the people of Lagos State,” Obasa said.