Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has urged residents to continuously ensure that Lagos remains politically stable for continuous peace, which the state currently enjoys as the most peaceful in Nigeria.
Governor Sanwo-Olu made the call on Sunday during his meeting with leaders of the Lagos State chapter of Ohanaeze Ndigbo led by its President, Chief Solomon Ogbonna, and Ohanaeze Political Forum led by its Chairman, Chief Chris Ekwilo, at the Lagos House, Marina.
The governor while making the call, said the 2023 General Elections for Lagos residents, especially the Igbo people should be about who had the best interest of the nation at heart, saying it should be about a person, who over the years, has created opportunities without consideration for tribal interests and has given a genuine platform for people to thrive, live and work well.
This was just as Sanwo-Olu noted that there was no part of Lagos where one form of development was not happening, assuring that his administration would continue to push development in every nook and cranny of the state.
“There is no part of this State that one form of development is not happening. We will continue to push development in every nook and cranny of the state.
“This is the most peaceful state in the country. We spent so much on security to keep all of us safe on a daily basis. So, if people now come and want to divide us, we shouldn’t let that happen,” the governor said.
“We all have a responsibility to continue to ensure that Lagos continues to remain politically stable for all of us so that we can continue to enjoy the peace that we are all experiencing. All the things we are doing are natural for us to do because God has created us to make life better for our fellow human beings.
“Don’t let us begin to divide what has held us. Let us be careful and let our people know that what is holding us together is bigger than wanting to divide us.
“For me, it is not just about coming back; it is just because we want the development to continue in Lagos. We will do our best. We will convince and carry everybody along and make sure we give everybody space. Don’t change something that is good and working,” he counselled.
Governor Sanwo-Olu commended the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Lagos State, saying Ogbonna was passionate about his kinsmen and the welfare of the Ndigbo in the state.
Speaking at the event, Ogbonna commended the governor for his support for the Ndigbo in Lagos State, assuring him that Igbo would support his second term bid because he had fulfilled all the campaign promises he made in 2019 to the Igbo in the state.
“I want to commend Governor Sanwo-Olu for his support for the Igbo people in Lagos State. He has fulfilled all the campaign promises he made in 2019 to Igbo in Lagos.
“So, we must support him and APC. If we have a governor of APC in Lagos and the same party at the federal level, it will be in the interest of the Igbo people.
“Our PVCs will give us the voting strength in APC. We will support Sanwo-Olu’s second term in Lagos because Sanwo-Olu is extraordinary. In 2023 elections, we will support Sanwo-Olu for a second term and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu for president,” he assured.
Chairman of the Ohanaeze Political Forum, Chris Ekwilo, in his remark, described Governor Sanwo-Olu as “best among equals,” assuring that Igbo people would work for the victory of Asiwaju Tinubu and Sanwo-Olu in next year’s elections, just as he declared that anything outside All Progressives Congress (APC) was wasted votes.
“We are doing everything possible to convince our people in Lagos that anything outside APC is a waste of votes. And because of the critical elections, we are facing, we have collapsed all the political groups of Ndigbo in Lagos APC into Ohanaeze Political Forum.
“We are going to join forces with the Ohanaeze chairman to reach out to our people in Lagos. Sanwo-Olu’s second term is a done deal,” he said.
Ekwilo also appreciated Governor Sanwo-Olu’s support for Igbo people in Lagos State through the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, especially the assistance he rendered to them during the COVID-19 pandemic by providing a lot of relief materials to cushion the effect of the pandemic on the people.
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