Lagos assembly passes N873.5b budget

Last PDP lawmaker defects to APC
Lagos State House of Assembly has finally passed the 2019 budget of N873.5 billion into law.

The passage followed the adoption of the report and recommendation of the House Adhoc Committee on Budget and Economic Planning, headed by Gbolahan Yishau.

The house approved N497.6 billion as capital expenditure and N393.8 billion as recurrent expenditure.

Meanwhile, the only member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the assembly, Dipo Olorunrinu, has formally defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In the ‘Letter of defection from PDP to APC’ addressed to the speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, and read at plenary by the clerk, Azeez Sanni, the lawmaker apologised for his late defection and asked for mercy.

Olorunrinu, who lost his re-election bid to APC candidate, Mrs. Mojisola Alli-Macaulay, in the March 9 election with 278 votes, had vowed not to challenge the result of the election at the tribunal.

He added: “I have been a young progressive-minded person and I have decided to realign with the APC based on moving trend and the party to reckon with taking Lagos to the next level.”