LG polls: Vote credible people at grassroots, Ambode tasks Nigerians

Lagos State governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, on Saturday called on Nigerians to ensure that they also vote credible people in office at the local government level, saying that it was only through such process that the country can make meaningful progress and deepen its democratic values.

Governor Ambode said this while speaking with journalists after casting his votes in the local government election holding throughout in all the 57 local councils in the state.

The governor, who cast his vote at his polling unit at Ogunmodede Junior and Senior College in Papa Epe, urged Lagosians to come out en masse and vote for credible candidates.

Speaking to journalists shortly after casting his vote, Governor Ambode said it was high time the people begin to show interest in governance especially at the local government level to ensure that their interest was well protected.

He said people could not sit at their various homes and just expect that things would work well, contending that, “Yes, we have tried at the state level but we also need credible people at the local government level and that is the nearest government to our people and all we have been advocating is about participatory governance.”

“If you don’t take part, you will not be part of what is coming up and the whole essence is for you to choose people who will really touch your needs. If you sit down at home and people who are not credible get there, it will not be their fault when they give you bad result and that is what we don’t want,” he added.

Governor Ambode assured that adequate security measures had been put in place to ensure that voters cast their votes in a peaceful atmosphere and also forestall any breakdown of law and order, saying that what was left was for people to come out and perform their civic responsibility.

“We have done so much to ensure that the security is good and so I just urge people to come out and exercise their franchise,” he said.

The governor noted that the reports so far received by him from across the state indicated that voting had commenced in a peaceful manner, expressing joy over the development.

“So far so good, from the reports I have received from all the other parts of Lagos State, we are pleased with what is going on. Voting has commenced in every part of Lagos; the whole thing has been very peaceful thus far and I believe strongly that it would be peaceful throughout.”

“What is important to us is to conduct a free, fair and credible election. Local Government election has not taken place in Lagos in the last five years, but we are happy that we are able to do this and also enhance democratic values that we are trying to build up in this country,” Governor said.

He, however, expressed optimism that the election coming nearly six years since the last exercise conducted in October 2011 would engender participatory governance and revive the belief in the electoral process at the third tier of government.

“I am happy that this election is coming at my own time. The whole idea is for us to evolve a process where the citizens come out and believe in a process that is credible and then when you do this and people are able to see elections that come at the local government level, they will be excited to do it because they know that it’s been credible, peaceful and there is no violence and that is what we as government have been preaching.”

“Lagos is too cosmopolitan for us not to have credible election and that is why I am trying to send this message out. We need to enhance democracy in the country and we can only do it by what we are doing today,” Governor Ambode said.

Also speaking, APC Chieftain and Balogun of Epe, Chief Lanre Razak, who also voted at the same polling unit with Governor Ambode, said the party strongly believes in strengthening democracy, contending that the conduct of the election would go a long way to develop the political process.

“We are lucky to have Ambode as our Governor in Lagos State. He has done a lot in infrastructure, in education in so many areas and he is a fair and just person. If you come to Epe you would see many developments. Not only here, go to other parts of the State, you would see noticeable change and serious development,” Razak said.

Also, a member, Lagos State House of Assembly representing Epe Constituency II, Hon. Segun Olulade, who spoke after voting at RCM Primary School, Ejinrin, Epe, commended Lagosians for coming out to vote despite the heavy downpour, saying that it was through people’s participation that democratic values could be enhanced in the country.