Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, was re-elected on Monday, after being declared the winner of the governorship election in the state by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

He polled a total of 762,134 votes, defeating Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the Labour Party, who had 312,329 votes, followed by Peoples Democratic Party’s Abdul-Azeez Adediran, aka Jandor, with 62,449 votes.

But prior to the governorship and House of Assembly elections, the presidential candidate of the APC, Bola Tinubu, lost to his LP counterpart, Mr Peter Obi, who won in the state.

Obi polled a total of 575,735 votes, while Tinubu garnered a total of 573,001 votes.

The development, however, unsettled the Lagos political space. This also inspired the LP candidates in the state as they sought to achieve a winning streak at the governorship and state Assembly polls.

This, of course, saw the major frontrunners in the governorship contest make frantic moves to canvass for votes ahead of the polls, which were later extended by a week.

Sanwo-Olu, however, fought back to win re-election three weeks after his former principal was defeated in the state.

Although there was considerable anxiety in some areas of the state leading up to the election, he was ultimately victorious at the polls.

While this was fuelled by divisive ethnic politics by some candidates, it also became a source of concern for the crusaders of one indivisible Nigeria.

In a bid to douse the tension and restore the confidence reposed on him as the number one citizen of the state, Governor Sanwo-Olu, bared his mind on the development during his acceptance speech, as he condemned ethnic profiling and promised not to pursue a divisive agenda.

He said, “During the course of the campaign, we sadly saw a lot of divisive rhetoric used. There were those who tried to make these elections about ethnicity and religion, when, in fact, they should only have been about capacity, competence, and experience.

“We saw hateful and hurtful ethnic profiling by fellow citizens—which is totally out of place for us as Lagosians, the proud residents of West Africa’s preeminent melting pot. I want to recognise and salute all of the multitudes of Lagosians who refused to succumb to those who sought and still seek to divide us with their unguarded and inciting comments.

“Unfortunately, there are reports of skirmishes in some local government areas wherein some citizens were reported to have been injured. We strongly condemn these reprehensible incidents; that is definitely not who we are as a people.

“The relevant law enforcement and security agencies have been directed to investigate these breaches of the law and to ensure that those found culpable face the full wrath of the law. Now that the elections are over, we must reaffirm the spirit of solidarity and togetherness that binds us as Lagosians.”

Following his acceptance speech, there were calls from different quarters to the governor to reunite the state.

This is notwithstanding the debate about Lagos being ‘a no-man land,’ which sparked off during the electioneering period.

Among those who made the call is the Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Alfred Martins, who urged the state government to call all the parties to order and to put in place machinery for the quick restoration of peace and normalcy.

He said, “The ethnic and discriminatory comments making the rounds, particularly on social media, are not a reflection of the true nature of Lagosians, who are known to be very peace-loving, accommodating, and cosmopolitan, including by promoting inter-tribal marriages for many decades.

“I call on everyone to put a stop to the spread of hate speech and fake news and to shun all forms of rancour. The divisive comments and behaviours, particularly along ethnic or tribal lines, are not conducive to good neighbourliness and peaceful coexistence.

“We are all Nigerians and have lived and interacted together as one people for decades in Lagos and other parts of our country.”

Beyond the rhetoric of ethnic profiling in the state, residents expressed their concerns and also spoke about their expectations for the next four years.

A public analyst, David Adewale, urged the governor to promote inter-ethnic relationships and invest in education against bigotry.

He said, “The governor should work on curbing ethnic bigotry in Lagos State. He needs to promote cultural diversity, encourage dialogue, and foster understanding. He should also enforce laws against discrimination, promote interethnic relationships, and invest in education against bigotry.

“These will deal with the issues relating to ethnic profiling in the state. Also, one of the things the governor did that I felt was a bit funny, though some might consider it disingenuous, was to visit public places and make social contact with the people.

“I think the governor should make it a norm from time to time and not just something he uses as a campaign strategy. He should make random visits to some social places and meet with people. After all, he has a perception of a governor that can be easily accessible.”

Doctors’ expectations

The General Secretary of the Lagos State chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association, Ismail Ajibowo, said the state government needed to do more to retain the medical staff in its hospitals.

Interesting..

All these ones are story upon story. Sanwoolu was selected in the midst of election thuggery, voters suppression, and tribalism.

The cycle of things will still go on. No be light rail wey them use N100B them don dey push?