Elections Over, Let’s Us Build Lagos- Lagos APC

With the gubernatorial and house of assembly elections over in Lagos, the oppostion parties in the state have been urged to join hands with the government in moving the state forward.

The All Progressive Congress (APC) Lagos said the election was a recognition of the giant strides of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in all the six pillars of the THEMES Agenda – the development plan of his administration – and the rejection of politics of religion, ethnicity, violence and hate.

In a statement signed by its publicity secretary Seye Oladejo, Lagos APC noted that opposition parties in the last election pushed out many flase narratives but ” have turned round to shed crocodile tears in their bid to play the victim. The elections have been won and lost. It is time for all patriotic citizens to concentrate on building our dear State and, by extension, the nation. But this is not the thinking of the opposition, who have shown that they lack the true spirit of sportsmanship.”

According to Oladejo, opposition parties campaigned on Ethnicism and Religion, Threats and Intimidation but failed woefully. APC specifically accused the candidiate of the Labour Party (LP) of pushing ethnic sentiments.

Ethnicity, which is anathema to democracy, has never been a factor in the voting pattern in Lagos State. It was introduced and orchestrated by the Labour Party (LP) and its candidate, Mr Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour. His intention was to pitch a section of the populace against another. When he started his campaign, he was Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour. He soon metamorphosed into Chinedu Rhodes-Vivour and, with his mother, was campaigning in areas seen as having heavy Igbo population, adopting Igbo as the language of communication.

The candidate, who does not speak Yoruba, showed his resentment for the people he desired to lead when he retorted that “I don’t think in Yoruba” – in reply to a reporter’s question. His supporters latched on to his body language and disposition to taunt the Yoruba and other Lagosians by proclaiming that Lagos is a no-man’s land.

Following the same script, LP presidential candidate Peter Obi campaigned only in markets dominated by people from a section of the country when he visited Lagos.

” Mr. Chinedu Rhodes-Vivour played a prominent role in the in the #EndSARS protest, a peaceful action, which became a veneer for the destruction of public and private assets when it was hijacked by hoodlums. Lagos lost many of its cherished assets.”

” The DNA laboratory (the first of its kind in West Africa) was burnt down; the iconic Lagos High Court, one of the most recognizable buildings in Nigeria, was razed. So was City Hall, which was established in 1900. Hundreds of brand-new high-capacity BRT buses, among other assets, were burnt in the orgy of madness from which our dear state is yet to recover.”

” However, it is to be noted that Mr. Chinedu is not the only Yoruba of mixed race in politics. Besides, there are people of Igbo parentage who are very dear to the heart of Lagosians. Many have held positions in the Lagos State Cabinet and Agencies.”

Oladejo refuted the allegation that most violences that occured during the last election were perpetrated the party members.

” We also need to state that the false alarm that members of the All Progressive Congress (APC) perpetrated violence during the election cannot be substantiated. The party has loyalists, members and sympathizers in all nooks and crannies of the state. It has no reason to embrace violence. On the contrary, our members were mostly the victims of intimidation and violence. Many are still in hospitals where doctors are battling to save their lives.”

” A few days ago threats and intimidation continued even in post-election era and it was raised to the most unexpected height when, a respected statesman, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu called the Yoruba, “political rascals” who would be handled. If I may ask, who is intimidating who?”