Tinubu’s Wife Not Involved in Our Crisis – Lagos Assembly

The Lagos State House of Assembly has dismissed claims that Senator Oluremi Tinubu, wife of President Bola Tinubu, is involved in the ongoing crisis within the Assembly. The clarification was made in a statement released on Tuesday by the House spokesperson, Olukayode Ogundipe.

Amid speculation that the First Lady was supporting the ousted Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, the Assembly firmly denied the allegations, asserting that all lawmakers hold her in high esteem. “We categorically dissociate all members of the Lagos State House of Assembly from this false and baseless claim. The report is purely a fabrication and has no basis in truth,” the statement read.

The House emphasized that Senator Tinubu, as a former First Lady of Lagos and now First Lady of Nigeria, has significantly contributed to governance and national development. It described any attempt to link her to the Assembly’s crisis as entirely unfounded.

Meanwhile, some lawmakers met with the executives of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos on Tuesday to brief them on developments in the Assembly. State party chairman Cornelius Ojelabi, in a post on X, confirmed the meeting, stating that it was an effort to maintain official communication between the party and legislative members. APC’s state Publicity Secretary, Seye Oladejo, reiterated that the visit was a routine briefing, adding that the party maintains that the crisis must be resolved within the House.

The Assembly complex was thrown into chaos on Monday following a security operation by the Department of State Services (DSS). Reports indicated that the DSS had sealed the Speaker’s office, leading to heightened tensions. The crisis deepened as Obasa reportedly sought to return to the Assembly after being removed by a majority of lawmakers on January 13. He has since taken legal action to challenge his ouster.

The DSS defended its actions, stating that it was invited by the Assembly to maintain security. A top DSS official, speaking anonymously, said the agency was responding to a request from the Assembly’s Clerk, who cited potential security threats. However, the House insisted that while it had sought security assistance, it had not authorized the DSS to seal offices or restrict access to lawmakers.

The Assembly’s statement on Monday night accused DSS operatives of undermining legislative functions. “For the avoidance of doubt, at no point did the letter requesting security assistance instruct the DSS to invade the legislative chamber, lock and restrict access to the Speaker’s office, lock the office of the acting Clerk, and lock the Deputy Speaker’s office,” Ogundipe stated.

In a related development, the DSS has threatened legal action against Africa Independent Television (AIT) and Channels Television over their coverage of the crisis. The DSS accused both stations of misrepresenting its actions and demanded a public retraction and apology. The service, through its lawyer Adedeji Adedipe (SAN), warned that failure to comply within seven days would result in legal proceedings under Nigeria’s Cybercrimes Act.

Meanwhile, the Arise Lagos Movement, a political group, has warned former Vice President Atiku Abubakar against interfering in Lagos politics. Atiku had accused President Tinubu of meddling in state affairs instead of focusing on national issues. In response, the group’s convener, Abe Kolawole, reaffirmed support for Tinubu, describing him as a leader committed to democracy and national development.

Kolawole alleged that the Lagos Assembly crisis was politically motivated, suggesting it was part of a broader scheme to influence the 2027 elections. “We take further note of the Nollywood-style drama orchestrated yesterday in an attempt to drag the name of our leader through the mud,” he said, adding that Lagosians were not deceived by the controversy.

He urged Nigerians to trust President Tinubu’s leadership and remain focused on national progress.