The Ohanaeze Ndigbo
in Lagos has declared support for the re-election bid of Babajide Sanwo-Olu,
governor of the state.
Sunday Ossai, president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Lagos chapter,
made the declaration on Thursday in Ikeja, during a joint media briefing
concerning the March 11 governorship election.
Ossai said the group declared its support for the governor
because he had fulfilled his campaign promises to its members.
He promised that Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Lagos would reciprocate the kind gesture of the governor by ensuring that its people vote massively to secure his re-election.
He also condemned and distanced the group from a statement
calling for the resignation of the governor credited to one Okechukwu
Isiguzoro.
He said the call did not come from the official body of the
Ohanaeze Ndigbo, or the Lagos chapter and asked that the statement be
dismissed.
“As president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Lagos, I am a
representative of Ndigbo in the state and as their mouthpiece, I hereby debunk
the so-called statement that the Igbo body asked Sanwo-Olu to resign,” NAN
quoted him as saying.
“If Ndigbo is asking
for anybody to become governor of the state, it is Sanwo-Olu, because of the
cordial relationship that we enjoy together.
“He represents everything that Ndigbo needs to exist in
Lagos. He has been very kind to us. He has implemented friendly policies that
enable us to execute our businesses and our professional calling without fear
or favour.
“Why should we tell him to resign? He should not resign. If
the constitution permits a third tenure, Ndigbo will strongly support
Sanwo-Olu.
“With Ndigbo, Sanwo-Olu should go and sleep with his two
eyes closed as they will vote for him.”
Jane Okoro, the woman leader of the group, assured the
governor that the entire women structure in the 57 LGAs and local council
development areas (LCDAs) of the state will be mobilised to support his
re-election.
Okoro appealed to women not to allow their children to be
used as political thugs in the forthcoming elections.
Also speaking, Oladotun Hassan, president of the Yoruba
council worldwide, appealed to all Igbo people in the state, to reach out to
their brothers and sisters to disregard all the unfounded allegations against
the governor.
“I am appealing to all our wonderful Igbo people in Lagos State,
to please ensure and reach out to their beloved brothers and lovely sisters and
let them know and confirm to them that all those spurious allegations were
nothing but satanic intrigues and orchestrated lies from a pit of hell and that
it is just a premeditated antics in futility at casting aspersions against our
dear Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and give a dog a bad name in order to
hang it,” Hassan said.
BACKGROUND
On Saturday, Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the
Labour Party (LP), won the presidential election in Lagos state.
Obi defeated Bola Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress
(APC) standard bearer after the votes were calculated from all the LGAs
in the state.
Tinubu is a former Lagos governor and the state is
historically his stronghold.
Tinubu polled 572,606 behind Obi who had 582,354. Atiku
Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) garnered 75,750 votes, while
Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and Adewole Adebayo of
Social Democratic Party (SDP) had 8,442 and 772 respectively.
The defeat of the APC by the LP has generated concerns as to
whether Sanwo-Olu, the incumbent governor, stands a chance to be re-elected.
We don't know any Ohaneze ndi Igbo in Lagos, they are speaking for themselves, the only party we know in Lagos is Labour party
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