Lagos APC Primary Fallout: Obasa Distances Self from Protests, Warns Against Misuse of His Name

Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, has distanced himself from the wave of protests that followed the All Progressives Congress (APC) local government primaries in Lagos State, warning against attempts to drag his name into the controversy.
Obasa also condemned efforts to scapegoat him for the demonstrations that have erupted across the state over the outcome of the party’s primaries.
On Tuesday, party members from several local government areas, including Badagry, Mushin, Amuwo-Odofin, Eti-Osa, Somolu, Ajeromi-Ifelodun and Oshodi-Isolo, staged a protest at the APC State Secretariat on Acme Road, Ikeja. The protesters accused party leaders of manipulating the primary election results and demanded greater transparency in the process.
The demonstration was the latest in a series of protests that have trailed the release of a list purportedly containing the names of candidates who emerged victorious in the primaries.
Amid the unrest, several messages circulated on WhatsApp alleging that Obasa had spent N2 billion to sponsor and coordinate the protests.
Reacting to the claims, the Speaker dismissed the allegations as false, malicious and unfounded.
“It is foolhardy, malicious, misleading and baseless for anybody to assume or imply that I would import or mobilise protesters from different local governments to the party secretariat. To achieve what exactly?” he said.
“I am not a candidate in the disputed election, so why and how would I commit such an amount of money to organising protests?”
Obasa described himself as a loyal and peace-loving member of the APC, stressing that he would never support any action capable of undermining the unity of the party.
“I am a peace-loving party man, and I abhor the use of my name and office for any form of illegality or to sow division within the party,” he stated.
The Speaker reaffirmed his commitment to the stability and progress of the APC in Lagos, saying his focus remains on promoting peace and cohesion within the party.
“My steadfast commitment remains the unity, peace and progress of our great party and the people of Lagos State,” he added.