Ahead of next Saturday’s Governorship and House of Assembly polls, traditional rulers and community leaders in the 62 communities in the Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State have thrown their weight behind Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for his re-election bid.
The traditional rulers and community leaders, while throwing their support on Saturday, also sued for peaceful coexistence among all residents of the area, urging them to come out en masse to perform their civic responsibility without fear of victimisation and harassment from any quarters during the elections.
Chairman of the Baale’s Forum in Eti-Osa Local Government Area, Chief Wasiu Alli-Balogun, who is the Baale of Lafiaji, who spoke at a press conference held at Ikota Primary School, Lagos, assured victory for Governor Sanwo-Olu, who is also is contesting the March 11 gubernatorial poll on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC).
Chief Alli-Balogun implored all the Lagos residents in Eti-Osa to file out in large numbers and re-elect Governor Sanwo-Olu because of the remarkable achievements he had brought to the state during his first term in office.
“We want to appeal to those that were annoyed with the last elections, that they should forget what happened. Let us forget the past and face the future. Governor Sanwo-Olu means peace. He wants progress for Eti-Osa and Lagos as a whole. We need to support him and give him votes so that he can be able to complete the work he has started,” the Baale appealed.
The Baale, who claimed many irregularities in last Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly polls in Eti-Osa Local Government Area, noted that many eligible voters were disenfranchised as they could not locate the new polling units where their names were before the close of the election.
He appealed to all aggrieved APC members and residents in Eti-Osa Local Government Area to sheath their swords and come out en-masse to vote for Sanwo-Olu and other candidates of APC, stressing that the governor had done so much for the state and deserved to be given a second term of office.
Alli-Balogun, however, demanded that security be beefed up to ensure the safety of lives and prosperities, saying that security agencies should perform their constitutional duties without being partisan to avoid repeating irregularities during the last presidential and National Assembly elections.
Also speaking, the Baale of Ikota, Chief Nasiru Omotayo Laguda, urged Governor Sanwo-Olu to count on the communities in Eti-Osa Local Government Area, promising that they would support and deliver votes for him in the area as he had been very supportive of people in the area, which had also witnessed massive socio-economic development during his tenure.
“We want to tell the whole world that Eti-Osa is solidly behind Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. I am appealing to all our Baales that they should return home and work out their strategies.
“It is not a matter of fighting. We will call our neighbours, children, communities, and everybody to come out en masse and vote for Governor Sanwo-Olu. We are more than our strangers and our neighbours. If we come out en-masse, we all will deliver our communities,” he said.
In his remark, the Chairman of Eti-Osa Resettlement Scheme, Chief Ayodeji Thomas, who is the Baale of Gedegede, urged residents in the area to give maximum support to Governor Sanwo-Olu and other APC candidates, saying that victory was assured in the forthcoming elections by the grace of God.
“We need to encourage our people. We want to appeal to everybody to come out and vote without fear or intimidation.
“I can assure everybody that we are going to have a peaceful election on Saturday by God’s grace. I pray by the grace of God that we are going to deliver for Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu,” he said.
Thomas congratulated the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his victory in last Saturday’s presidential poll. He urged him to prioritise the welfare of the masses and ensure an indivisible country.
