The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola has debunked reports that he has shortlisted five candidates to succeed him as governor of Lagos State.
Fashola who spoke in an interview described as ridiculous, the front page report in a Lagos-based newspaper, not Newswatch, yesterday which claimed he had drawn up a shortlist of five candidates who could possibly succeed him.
“The first thing to say is that I did not compile any list whether a shortlist or a long list and I think the Saturday Sun newspaper has acted perhaps irresponsibly and I think they had an opportunity if indeed it is true they ever got such a story to have clarified with us. But to have gone on in detail to say that I have compiled a list, I would like them to present that list to members of the public”.
The governor said he is considering seeking legal redress what he descried as blatant falsehood published by the newspaper on a list of potential governorship candidates said to have been compiled by him. “As I said I deny such a list vehemently and I am already talking to my lawyers and it is very sad that they do not show respect to the Nigerian populace. People work very hard to earn money and the least that they deserve is that if they buy newspapers, what they expect to read in the newspapers should be true not stories fabricated and planted and put on the front page as if it was factual”, he explained.
The Governor reiterated that such act of publishing deliberate falsehood, if not for anything, is the height of corruption and could be likened to obtaining people’s money by false pretence which is undeserving of any newspaper.
