The Chairman of the Lagos Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Tunde Balogun, says the choice of Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly for ninth assembly remains a business of the 40 members-elect.
Balogun disclosed this to newsmen after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) presented certificates of return to the members-elect on Friday, at the commission’s office, Sabo-Yaba.
Answering a question on whether the party would interfere in the selection of the Speaker for the 9th Assembly, Balogun said: “The regular thing to do is to sit at the Assembly and elect a speaker.
“It is the duty that is left to the lawmakers. It is left for the lawmakers to decide.”
The members-elect who received their certificates of return include the present Speaker, Mr Mudashiru Obasa, who will be returning for his fifth term in the assembly.
Balogun expressed satisfaction with his party’s success in winning all the 40 seats in the legislative arm, saying that the party had achieved more for the state.
“Winning all the 40 seats in the assembly shows how popular APC is in Lagos State. We have all the 40 seats won by APC. People in the state believe in our party, that is why they have given us their mandates.
“Apart from popularity of APC in Lagos State, it shows the general acceptability of our programmes.
“We have cardinal programmes in Lagos state that touch on health, education, transportation and housing,” Balogun said.
He urged the lawmakers-elect to prioritise the interest of the people and support the executive for greater feats in the state.
“I expect the 40 elected members to represent their constituencies well.
“They need to know the needs of the people there, they need to know the kind of laws that will help the governor implement our programmes.
“Laws that will lift and elevate the lives of our people in Lagos State,” Balogun said.
Also speaking, Mr Joe Igbokwe, the APC Publicity Secretary in the state, urged the lawmakers-elect to prioritise service delivery to the people of the state, and join the executive arm to move Lagos forward.
Reacting to the fact that there were only two females among the 40 lawmakers-elect for ninth assembly, Igbokwe said the party had plans to increase women representation in the cabinet.
“This will be rectified and re-ordered so that women will have at least 20 per cent. If we have not done it in this assembly, we are going to do it in the cabinet,” he said.
On allegations that the House might end up being a rubber stamp with all the seats occupied by APC, Igbokwe said that Lagos would be better for it.
He said that the House, in collaboration with the executive arm, had been able to move the state to an enviable height.
The APC spokesman said that the party worked so hard to achieve the feat.
Mr Jude Idimogu, one of the members-elect in the Assembly, described his reelection as a call to serve the state, and called for support for the ruling party.
Idimogu, representing Oshodi-Isolo Constituency II in the House, thanked the National Leader of APC, Sen. Bola Tinubu, and other stakeholders for the opportunity to serve the people.
