Former Governor of Ogun State, Olusegun Osoba has appealed to Igbo people not to allow ethnicity be a dividing factor in the Lagos State governorship election on Saturday.
Osoba, who spoke in an interview with TVC on Monday, called on Lagos residents to re-elect Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in the election because he has done so well in the state.
He described Lagos as the “most liberal state in this country” and appealed to “Igbo brothers and sisters” to sustain the relationship, stressing that making the governorship election about ethnicity could be “destructive”.
“I appeal to my Igbo brothers and sisters, don’t let us make this an ethnic issue. Anywhere in the world where ethnicity has become an issue, it becomes destructive. I will plead that the youth, our religious people, and our Igbo brothers and sisters in Lagos should think of the past.
“Nnamdi Azikwe, the father figure of Igbo land, started and all his political life was in Lagos. The first Igbo lawyer, Sir Louis Mbanefo went to Methodist Boys High School and King’s College; he had his education in Lagos.
“We have been working together. Let us sustain the relationship. Lagos is the most liberal state in this country. Lagos has given so much to all of us, let us pay back by showing gratitude to a Governor who I believe has done his best,” Osoba appealed.
The former governor added that, “Lagos has given so much to all of us, let us pay back by showing gratitude to Governor Sanwo-Olu who I believe has done his best.”
“In Lagos, it hurts me and it gives me sleepless nights when educated people and others voted against APC in Ikoyi for example. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has done so well in Ikoyi. Ikoyi was totally run down; it was almost becoming a slum.
“And when Sanwo-Olu came in, he did so much renewal in Ikoyi. He has done a lot to fix Glover Road and McPherson Avenue with heavy drainage to address the flooding. He has also worked on Lateef Jakande, McDonald all the way down to Cooper Road, Alexander and Queen Drive.
“He (Governor Sanwo-Olu) has done so much renewal and yet some of us elites whose property value had gone almost 50 percent voted blindly. I thought we would vote according to performance. Anywhere in the world, you assess a government and vote based on performance. I hope they will redeem their image. How can the Ikoyi voting pattern be against a government that performed?
“They voted against APC. What is their reason? Tunji Bello used to tell me about the efforts they always make to pump water every flooding period to save us from heavy flooding. So, it devises all reasonable logic the way people; educated people voted in Ikoyi for example, where I lived.”
“Why should anybody be looking for a change in Lagos? I have spoken about the assessment and performance of Sanwo-Olu in Ikoyi where I live. This is not hearsay. The monorail that Jakande started was canceled over 40 years ago, he has restored it with the Blue line rail. I can go on and on giving you examples of his performance.
“I went to campaign in Agbado on Friday and when coming back, I google my way to my house and all throughout Agege and neighbouring areas between Ogun State and Lagos were all dualised. How do you say a man like that should not continue?
“I will urge our people, especially the youths not to make the same mistake that they made in Eti-Osa where they voted blindly out of frustration, which I appreciate. And the President-Elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, told them he will address their frustration.”
Meanwhile, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bode George has raised an alarm that there are plans to kill Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP).
