THE Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, stated on Thursday that he has not seriously considered running for governor, despite widespread speculation.
Obasa emphasized that his primary focus is on strengthening the party in Lagos State, a commitment that has led him to actively mobilize support for the party. He attributed the rumors about his governorship ambitions to misinterpretations by “political detractors.”
Speaking shortly after Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu presented the state’s 2025 budget of N3.005 trillion, Obasa clarified that while he has no immediate plans to pursue a governorship bid, he is not unqualified for the role.
“I have made it a personal mission to mobilize people under the platform of Mandate, but some political detractors have misconstrued this as a selfish ambition for governorship. Let me correct this false impression—my focus is on building our party. Whatever actions I take are solely for this purpose,” he said.
“To those spreading false narratives, I want to state clearly that our goal is to strengthen the party through Mandate. Becoming governor is secondary and not something I have seriously considered. That does not imply that I am too young or inexperienced compared to my predecessors.”
Earlier during the plenary session, all lawmakers passed a vote of confidence in Obasa.
Governor Sanwo-Olu, during the presentation, revealed that the 2025 budget, dubbed the “Budget of Sustainability,” includes a total revenue of N2.597 trillion and a deficit financing of N408.9 billion. The budget allocates N1.239 trillion (41%) for recurrent expenditure and N1.766 trillion (59%) for capital expenditure, sourced from N1.97 trillion in total revenue and N626.1 billion in federal transfers.
In response, Speaker Obasa acknowledged that the budget was presented amidst economic challenges but urged Nigerians to remain hopeful as President Bola Tinubu’s administration works towards economic recovery.