Lagos denies funding Sanwo-Olu’s legal dispute from state account

The Lagos State Government has refuted allegations made by Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, that the state government funded Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s legal dispute after the Saturday, March 18 election.

Rhodes-Vivour, in a tweet on X, claimed that the Lagos State Government paid N50,000,000 to four lawyers to defend Governor Sanwo-Olu in the legal dispute.

“Lagos State is not a party to any political case instituted against Mr Sanwolu, APC, and INEC. The state account can not be an extension of Mr Governor’s personal account,” Rhodes-Vivour said

“It is wrong for taxpayers to bear the expenses of legal representation for Mr Sanwolu as opposed to channelling said funds to areas where it is desperately needed, such as healthcare, education, and social security.”

Meanwhile, in a statement on Tuesday, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, said there was a payment request but no such payment was ever made.

Omotoso said Rhodes-Vivour’s allegations were “without any proof whatsoever” and a “ploy to deceive the public.”

He noted that the document presented by Rhodes-Vivour to support his claims “neither carried the logo of the Lagos State Government nor the endorsement of any of its officials.”

“It was simply another ploy to deceive the public about a non-existent payment of N50,000,000 to four lawyers,” Omotoso said.

Omotoso then stated that while it is worthwhile for “patriotic individuals to scrutinise the finances of the Lagos State Government”, the outcome of such an inquiry must “always be based on verified facts and nothing but the truth.”

The commissioner stated that the transaction mentioned by Rhodes-Vivour never occurred, adding that there was a payment request that was not approved by Sanwo-Olu after the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice drew his attention to it due to irregularities.

“There was a payment request, which was not approved by Mr Governor when the Honourable Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice drew his attention to it because it is irregular.”

He added that Governor Sanwo-Olu will never misappropriate public funds in defiance of his oath of office.