Polls: Groups task Sanwo-Olu to reconcile Lagosians, heal wounds

Following the conclusion of the governorship election in Lagos, a socio-political group, Every Lagosian Matters, has called on the state governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu to reconcile all interest groups. Sanwo-Olu won re-election on Saturday in a poll characterised by ethnic and tribal war among the political actors. Amidst the ethnic tension caused by the recent […]

Following the conclusion of the governorship election in Lagos, a socio-political group, Every Lagosian Matters, has called on the state governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu to reconcile all interest groups.

Sanwo-Olu won re-election on Saturday in a poll characterised by ethnic and tribal war among the political actors.

Amidst the ethnic tension caused by the recent election, the group through its team leader, Hon. Kenneth Ibe-Kalu at a press conference in Lagos urged Sanwo-Olu to reconcile and harmonise all interest groups with a view to galvanising Lagosians for the task ahead of building a greater Lagos.

“We further call on the Governor to always see himself as the Father of Lagos State and Lagosians while looking into grey areas that have been the source of agitation with the aim of ameliorating them,” he added.

While congratulating the President –Elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, he advised him and the APC “to consider zoning the office of the Senate President to the South East in the spirit of federal character principle.”

Also, a coalition of human rights and civil society groups in its preliminary report released yesterday said the last Saturday’s Governorship election in the state was free and fair.

The group said no election in the world is perfect, adding that the outcome of the election in Lagos substantially meets public expectations.

At the presentation of its preliminary reports in Lagos the Nigerian Human Rights Community, (NIHRCO) a coalition of 130 civil society and Community Based Organizations, CBOs said the election was not devoid of hitches but that overall, the result of the election represented the free, prior and informed consent of the people of Lagos.

The event was attended by 80 leaders of civil rights and community based groups.

“What is left now is to heal wounds and fix broken hearts fuelled by ethnic baiting and hate speeches promoted by non-state actors, the rights group said

“The coalition commended the political leadership of the State Government saying that its commitment to a free and fair election eliminated acts of violence compared with previous elections in the state when lives were lost often due to the might of the Federal powers forceful attempt at influencing the outcome of the elections.
The group had deployed observers in many of the 13, 390 and 245 wards in Lagos.