Lagos State House of Assembly has refuted the claims that 27 of its members are planning to defect to the Labour Party (LP), labelling the reports as “malicious and unfounded.”
In a statement, yesterday, Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Strategy and Security, Ogundipe Stephen Olukayode, dismissed the allegations as “entirely false, misleading, and a deliberate attempt to misinform the public.”
He said that the recent removal of former Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, and the subsequent election of Mojisola Meranda as the new Speaker were purely internal matters conducted in accordance with Nigeria’s constitution, and did not signal any intention for members to leave the ruling party.
The Assembly, which attributed the falsehood to agents of destabilisation seeking to create tension and division, reassured party leaders and supporters of their unwavering commitment to the ruling party and pledged to resolve any internal disagreements through peaceful and democratic means.
The House also called on the media to uphold journalistic ethics by verifying information before publication and avoiding the dissemination of unverified reports.
It also urged media practitioners to refrain from spreading reports that “could mislead the public.”
But the LP has accused the Assembly of attempting to suppress the democratic rights of its members following reports that 27 lawmakers plan to defect to the LP.
In a statement signed by National Publicity Secretary of the LP, Dr Arabambi Abayomi, the party described the Assembly’s denial as “a desperate attempt to suppress the truth and undermine the democratic rights of lawmakers to freely associate with any political party of their choice.”
The LP said that several members of the Assembly had approached the party expressing interest in joining its ranks.
Meanwhile, Meranda has said that she remains the Speaker of the Assembly.
Meranda, who spoke through her Chief Press Secretary, Segun Ajiboye, said: “I’m in the office. It is a lie from the pit of hell. There is no truth in the story. The Speaker has not resigned and there is no plan for that.”
However, a coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs), Womanifesto, has expressed its unwavering support for Meranda.
The group, which gave the assurance, yesterday, during a media briefing where its Convener, Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, called on the Lagos State government to uphold the legitimacy of Meranda’s position, condemned the actions of the Department of State Services (DSS).
Akiyode-Afolabi described the security forces’ actions as a gross violation of the rights of lawmakers and an unacceptable form of interference in any democratic process.
The coalition urged all stakeholders to respect the constitutional position of the Speaker, the interest of the state, and the aspirations of women and girls.
It also called for adherence to the rule of law and the principles of fairness and justice as outlined in Nigeria’s Constitution.
