The Lagos State House of Assembly has denied reports claiming that 27 members of the All Progressives Congress have defected to the Labour Party.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Strategy, and Security, Ogundipe Olukayode, asserted that the APC remains “united and focused.”
He dismissed the reports of a “mass defection” from the ruling party as “riddled with inaccuracies and outright falsehoods.”
“The Lagos State House of Assembly wishes to categorically debunk the malicious and unfounded publication alleging that twenty-seven members of the assembly are planning to defect from the ruling party to the opposition Labour Party. This publication is entirely false, misleading, and a deliberate attempt to misinform the public.
“We find this report not only offensive but also riddled with inaccuracies and outright falsehoods that serve no purpose other than to sow discord and confusion within the assembly and among the good people of Lagos State.
“The recent developments in the House, including the removal of the former Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, and the election of Mojisola Lasbat Meranda as the new Speaker, are purely internal matters. These actions were carried out in accordance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.”
The statement further clarified that the recent leadership changes within the House do not indicate any intention by members to leave the party.
“We emphasise, without any ambiguity, that no member of the Assembly
is contemplating defection,” the statement added.
“We were elected under the leadership of the ruling party. The ruling party remains united and focused on delivering its mandate to the people of Lagos State. The falsehood being spread originates from agents of destabilisation who seek to create unnecessary tension and division within the Assembly,” the statement concluded.