Lagos governorship election: Sanwo-Olu speaks after victory

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the winner of Saturday’s governorship election in Lagos State, has expressed his gratitude to the people of the State for voting for him.

Sanwo-Olu said he was honoured to be re-elected as the Governor of Lagos State, pledging to continue to work tirelessly to deliver a better Lagos for all.

He said this in a tweet via his Twitter handle on Monday morning.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had on Sunday night declared Sanwo-Olu of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as the winner of the Lagos gubernatorial election.

Sanwo-Olu polled a total of 762,134 to defeat the first runner-up, Labour Party’s Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, who scored 312,329 votes, while Abdulazeez Adeniran of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, polled 62,449 votes.

Reacting, Sanwo-Olu tweeted: “Thank you Lagosians!

“I am deeply humbled and grateful for the overwhelming support and trust of the good people of Lagos State. I am honored to be re-elected as your Governor and pledge to continue to work tirelessly to deliver a better Lagos for all.

“Thank you for believing in me.

“I have personally penned my thoughts in a letter to you. I hope you read it and truly feel my passion for Lagos and for you.

“These elections have deeply tested us as a people. This victory is not just mine, but it belongs to every Lagosian.

“I have worked hard to live up to this responsibility of governing the most important subnational economy in Africa. We certainly could not have done this by ourselves. Thank you to the Almighty God and all of Lagos. Immense gratitude goes to our great party, APC, and our President-Elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“Thank you to the President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, for your commitment to leaving a legacy of fairness and electoral outcomes that reflect the will of the people.

“Thank you to my wife, Ibijoke, my Deputy Governor, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, and all fellow contestants for their contributions. Lagos has chosen competence and experience, on this march to true greatness.

“During the course of the campaign, we sadly saw a lot of divisive rhetoric used. Elections should be about capacity, competence, and experience, not ethnicity or religion.

“I salute those who refused to be divided by hateful and hurtful ethnic profiling. Recent skirmishes in some LGAs resulting in injuries are reprehensible and not reflective of who we are. Law enforcement and security agencies have been directed to ensure that those found culpable face the full wrath of the law.

“Very importantly, and this cannot be overemphasized: What unites us as Lagosians is far more important and substantial than whatever differences exist among us.

“As your Governor, I will do everything in my power to ensure that genuine healing takes place. We will continue to run an inclusive government that delivers for all the people of Lagos, wherever in the State they may be living.

“The true Lagos spirit is a welcoming, embracing, liberal one, not a divisive, exclusionary one. In the days and weeks and months ahead, we will continue to do everything to demonstrate and amplify this.

“We must reaffirm the spirit of solidarity and togetherness that binds us as Lagosians.

“Our work will continue, and there will be no break. The dividends of democracy must continue to be delivered. Thank you once again dear Lagosians. Igbega Ipinle Eko, Ajumose Ni O!”

NewsDirect
NewsDirect
Articles: 19849