Mudashiru Obasa, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, on Thursday, said he had not given a serious thought about becoming the next governor of the state as was already being speculated in recent months.

Obasa noted 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 his opponents to mean that he was nursing a governorship ambition.

The Speaker said this in his remarks shortly after Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu presented the state’s 2025 budget size of N3,005,935,198,401.

Earlier, a vote of confidence was passed on the Speaker by all the lawmakers present at plenary.

Sanwo-Olu had said the budget comprised a total revenue of N2,597,034,000,000 and a deficit financing of N408,902,000,000.

The ‘Budget of Sustainability’ which is made of recurrent expenditure of N1.239 trillion (41%) and capital expenditure of N1.766 trillion (59%), is also to be sourced from a total revenue of N1,970,897,000,000 and total Federal transfers N626,137,000,000.

Reacting, Obasa noted that the budget was presented at a time of complaints by Nigerians about the economy.

He 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, we intend 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 off.”

With years of experience in Nigerian journalism, Iniobong Iwok has built a reputation for deep political insight, compelling storytelling, and consistent, fact-driven reporting. Over the years, he has gained extensive experience reporting and writing incisive political analysis. Iniobong has interviewed key political figures across Nigeria and covered major national events, including the 2019 and 2023 general elections. A versatile journalist, he also has strong experience in education reporting and sector analysis. His work reflects a deep commitment to good governance and public accountability. Iniobong holds a B.Sc. in Sociology from the University of Ilorin and an M.Sc. in Sociology (Development Specialisation) from Lagos State University.

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