The Oyo State House of Assembly has denied reports that it endorsed a governorship aspirant, Chief Niyi Akintola (SAN), ahead of next year’s election.
The Assembly described the report as “a misconception, erroneous and out of place”.
It emphasised that the Legislature is not an endorsement body, adding that the current Assembly would not endorse any candidate because it is not authourised to perform such a function.
Addressing reporters after a budget defence meeting yesterday, Deputy Speaker Abdulwasiu Musa said the legal luminary visited the lawmakers, like three other aspirants had done before him, to curry the support of the lawmakers.
Musa said the lawyer was hosted the same way the lawmakers did for those before him.
The deputy speaker said the Assembly, which has three major political parties, is not a political party and would not have endorsed an aspirant from any political party.
He said: “This is a responsible and responsive House of Assembly. We do our things in consonance with the laid-down rules and regulations of the land. The House of Assembly is not an endorsement body. It is not a stakeholder as far as the endorsement of any candidate is concerned.
“What happened specifically last Friday was that one of the governorship aspirants in the state, Mr Niyi Akintola (SAN), came to solicit and canvass for the support of members, just as we had earlier received no fewer than three other aspirants before him.
“The Assembly welcomed him and wished him well in his governorship pursuit. We did not at any point endorse him. It was a misconception, it is erroneous and out of place.
