Bola Badmus, Author at Tribune Online

Lagos State governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Saturday said there is need to continue to improve on advocacy to the people for them to come out and exercise their franchise, assuming that the state government would continue to improve on such as he acknowledged the low turnout of voters witnessed during Saturday's local government poll across Lagos. Governor Sanwo-Olu gave this assurance on Saturday, while speaking with newsmen, shortly after voting alongside his wife, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, at the Polling Unit 019, Ward 9, Lateef Jakande/ Femi Okunnu Avenue, Ikoyi in Eti- Osa Local Government Area of the state. The governor, who cast his vote at 11:05am, having been accredited by the presiding officer of Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), said though there was late arrival of materials at the four polling units he had visited, the election offered Lagosians the opportunity to exercise their franchise by voting their preferred candidates. "I have noticed about four polling booths. I would not say they were crowded polling booths but all went on peacefully. Reports I have gotten so far in the last two hours are that things are going as expected. "There could be delay in terms of arrival of materials but we thank God we have started and I hope what we have seen here is what we will see in other polling units; that people will turn out and express themselves in the ongoing local government and councillors election in Lagos State. We are expecting that everything will go on well, free and fair. "This is only time we can express ourselves freely. It’s a question of the encouragement and advocacy that we need to continue to give to our citizens. All the logistics have been provided, it’s just for our people to come out and exercise their franchise. We will continue to improve on the advocacy," the governor said. Governor Sanwo-Olu, while responding to question on the serenity of the voting area, said the construction of the Lateef Jakande Avenue was in fulfilment of his campaign promises to the people, adding that the whole idea around governance was to improve the life of the people across all the council areas across the state. "What you have seen here is a reflection of what is happening in our local governments. Two years ago, this Lateef Jakande Road was not like this but we have constructed the road and we are doing the same thing in all out local governments. The whole idea around governance is to improve the life of our people and I am sure that we would continue," he said. Also speaking, a member, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Gbolahan Yishawu, enjoined residents in the state to always come out and exercise their franchise, saying grassroots election is the most critical in electioneering. Yishawu representing Eti-Osa Constituency II, made the call shortly after exercising his voting rugyht at St. Geogies Primary School, Ikoyi-Obalende LCDA. The lawmaker, who is the chairman, House Committee on Budget and Economic Planning, said people needed more enlightenment in exercising their right to vote, even as he expressed satisfaction with the voting process, saying the most important thing was to have free, fair and credible polls. "The most important thing is to have free, fair and transparent process. You can see that the process is credible, that is what we have all around. We urge everybody to exercise their right by voting because this is the grassroots election," he said. 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