Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, on Thursday, said that he had not given a serious thought about becoming the next governor of the state as was already being speculated.
Obasa said that his major concern has been to strengthen the party in the state, adding that this is why he continues to minimise more people to support the party at all times, an act which has been misconstrued by ‘political detractors’ to mean that he was chasing a governorship ambition.
The Speaker said this in his remarks shortly after Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu presented the state’s 2025 budget proposal of over N3 trillion.
Earlier, a vote of confidence was passed on the Speaker by all the lawmakers present at plenary.
Sanwo-Olu had said that the budget comprised a total revenue of almost N2.6 trillion and a deficit financing of about N4. 09 trillion..
The ‘Budget of Sustainability’ which is made of a recurrent expenditure of about N1.24 trillion (41 per cent) and capital expenditure of N1.77 trillion (59 per cent), is also to be sourced from a total revenue of about N1.97 trillion and total Federal transfers of about N626.14 billion.
Reacting, Obasa noted that the budget was presented at a time complaints by Nigerians about the economy. He, however, appealed to Nigerians to be hopeful as President Bola Tinubu’s administration works to ensure the nation’s economic recovery.
He added: “I have made it a personal task to mobilise people on the platform of Mandate, which has been misconstrued by some political detractors as being a selfish aspiration on the ground for me to become governor of the state. There is the need, however, to correct this wrong impression. My concern is about building our party, and whatever we do is mainly for this cause.
“To the blackmailers who have embarked on the mission to distort and redefine our mission, let me state it unequivocally here, our intention is to promote our party on the platform of mandate.
“Also, becoming governor is secondary; it is something that I have not given serious consideration. Nevertheless, that does not mean I am too young or lack experience to run; whereas, those who have been before me are not better of”.
