Ahead of the 2027 gubernatorial race, the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudasiru Obasa, has sought to ease tensions regarding the race to succeed Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, stating that it is something “that I have not given serious consideration.”

Obasa clarified that all his recent political actions were not focused on the gubernatorial race but aimed at strengthening his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), and expanding its influence beyond the opposition parties in the country.

He explained that The Mandate Movement (TMM) was created to help the APC engage more effectively with the grassroots and promote the party’s ideology.

The Speaker made these remarks on Thursday after the state governor presented the 2025 budget, which is set at N3,005,935,198,401.

However, he urged Nigerians to remain hopeful as President Bola Tinubu’s administration works toward economic recovery.

“Let me also emphasise that those who live in glass houses must not throw stones,” he said, referencing a popular saying. “This also brings to my mind, according to our people: ‘eni ba yara logun ngbe.’ Meaning, the god of iron recognises the swift ones. In other words, those who are facilitating or planning to interfere in this House or destroy the cohesion of this institution should also be prepared for the same fate.”

He continued, “May I use this medium to sensitise us more on the need to build and sustain our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) regarding our focus for 2027. We need to continue to mobilise people just as I do frequently. I have made it a personal task to mobilise people on the platform of Mandate, which has been misconstrued by some political detractors as being a selfish aspiration on the ground for me to become governor of the state. There is the need, however, to correct this wrong impression. My concern is about building our party, and whatever we do is mainly for this cause.”

“To the blackmailers who have embarked on the mission to distort and redefine our mission, let me state it unequivocally here, our intention is to promote our party on the platform of Mandate. Also, becoming governor is secondary; it is something “that I have not given serious consideration.” Nevertheless, that does not mean I am too young or lack experience to run; whereas, those who have been before me are not better off.”

He also addressed rumors about his ties to certain influential Lagos families, stating, “In addition, it is also important to correct the impression from some naysayers who have been insinuating that I made payment to seek for blood relation in Ojo to validate my candidacy to run as governor. Of course, I have never denied the fact that I am OBASA. But rather, I have never claimed to be related to Onikoyi, Oniru, or any of the other popular Lagos families as the case may be. I can indeed never run from the fact that I am related to my Obasa family in Ojo. But I do not need local validity to contest or run. If eventually I am contesting, I will do so from Agege.”

In response to concerns about the state’s economic situation, Speaker Obasa reiterated his support for the ongoing efforts by the federal government to stabilize the economy, urging Nigerians to remain patient and hopeful.

Building businesses that stand the test of time requires a blend of innovation, unwavering focus, and passion. This was the key takeaway from the latest edition of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) Business Series, hosted on Thursday,

With the theme: “Profit with Purpose, Business Continuity,” the event which was held at the Tony Elumelu Amphitheatre, UBA House, Marina, Lagos, brought together top industry leaders and entrepreneurs who shared actionable insights and strategies for ensuring business resilience and sustainability in today’s dynamic economic environment.

Founder, Terra Kulture, Bolanle Austen-Peters, Chief Executive of Asadtek Group Limited, Ghana; Dr. James Asare-Adjei; Award winning TV Personality & Multi Media Entrepreneur, Frank Edoho, Celebrated multimedia personality, Toke Makinwa and founder of Nigeria’s pioneering indigenous premium coffee brand, Happy Coffee, Princess Adeyinka Tekena, were on ground to share their business journey and give insights on how businesses can stand the test of time and thrive in a competitive environment.

Bolanle Austen-Peters who is also a Prominent Lawyer, Award Winning Film Director, and Producer, was the keynote speaker at the event and she spoke on the need for small and medium scale businesses to define their purpose, build a workable framework and have a team that shares in your vision.

On how she has run a business successfully for over 20 years, she said, “I can never overemphasise the role that purpose plays in your business. There is the need for business owners to set clear goals and achievable targets. From Day one, I started with having an organisational structure like what we have in banks, complete with legal structure, a board of Directors, administrative Officers, and all.

Continuing she said, “The truth is that if you do not have a framework for your business, you may just be another business from the street. Putting together a structure shows that you are in for serious business, and people will treat your business as such,” she explained.

James Asare-Adjei from Ghana, who also shared that key essentials like being innovative and having integrity said that MSMEs need to identify areas that they can excel at and work towards building it. “As business owners, you need to take advantage of the market available to you, and ensure that you add value at every point.

For Frank Edoho, passion remains an essential ingredient that drives business growth. “Passion is very important, as business owners, you should stick to your guns and learn from what others are doing and add it to your experience to make your business better,” he explained.

“One of the things I did to grow my brand was that I was very focused,” said Toke Makinwa, who recalled her humble beginnings as a banker and later a broadcaster. “I kept the right attitude and surrounded myself with people who are team builders. These are winning strategies anytime,” she noted.

Princess Adeyinka Tekena, who is a beneficiary of the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) Grant, said the $5,000 grant she won in 2015, helped to build her business from ground up and the business has been thriving for over 10 years now. She pointed out that tenacity, determination and financial discipline have been some of the factors that have contributed to the growth of her small business.

UBA’s Group Head, Marketing and Corporate Communications, Alero Ladipo, who commended the participants for sharing valuable insights explained that with these regular capacity building programs, UBA focuses on empowering other business owners to build sustainable businesses.

“At UBA, it is not just about Banking, we are also passionate about helping our customers to grow thriving businesses, and that is why we do this on a regular basis,” she noted.

The UBA Business Series is a regular seminar/workshop organised by the bank as one of its capacity-building initiatives, where leading business leaders and professionals share well-researched insights on relevant topics and best practices for running successful businesses, especially in difficult business challenges.

United Bank for Africa is one of the largest employers in the financial sector on the African continent, with 25,000 employees group wide and serving over 45 million customers globally. Operating in twenty African countries and the United Kingdom, the United States of America, France and the United Arab Emirates, UBA provides retail, commercial and institutional banking services, leading financial inclusion and implementing cutting edge technology.

The House of Representatives on Thursday, November 21, rejected a proposed constitutional amendment aimed at instituting a single six-year term for the president, governors, and local government chairmen across the federation.

The bill, sponsored by Ikenga Ugochinyere (PDP, Imo) and 33 co-sponsors, also sought to divide the country into six geopolitical zones and establish a rotational system for the presidency and governorship within these zones.

Additionally, the bill proposed that all elections be conducted on a single day.

It aimed to amend Section 132 of the Constitution by inserting a new subsection (2), deleting the extant subsection (4), and renumbering the entire section accordingly. The proposed amendment would have stipulated that elections to the office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria be rotated between the North and South regions every six years.

The bill also sought to amend Section 180 of the Constitution, replacing “four years” with “six years.”

Furthermore, it proposed altering Section 76 by inserting a new subsection (3), which would read: “(3) For the purpose of Section (1) of this section, all elections into the offices of President, Governors, National Assembly, and State Houses of Assembly shall hold simultaneously on the same date to be determined by the Independent National Electoral Commission in consultation with the National Assembly and in accordance with the Electoral Act.”

When the bill, which was scheduled for a second reading, was put to a vote, the majority of lawmakers voted against it. This is not the first time the House has rejected a bill seeking a six-year single term for the president and governors.

In 2019, a similar bill, sponsored by John Dyegh from Benue State, also failed to progress to the second reading.

Dyegh’s bill had also proposed a six-year term for Members of the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly. He argued that a six-year term would allow members of the National Assembly to gain more experience, as opposed to the current four-year term.

According to Dyegh, re-election for the president and governors costs three times more than the first election and is often marked by violence. He believes a single term of five years would help curb the irregularities associated with re-election.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar had also proposed a further amendment to the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act 2022, advocating for a six-year single term for the president for each of the six geopolitical zones.

He added that the law must mandate electronic voting and the collation of results, and require the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to verify the credentials of candidates, among other reforms.

The governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, also backed calls in June this year for a single term for elected politicians.