Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Monday said his reelection has reaffirmed that Lagos residents chose competence and experience on the march to true greatness. He decried the violence and ethnic slurs witnessed in parts of Lagos.

Mr Sanwo-Olu said this at the Lagos House Marina while giving the victory speech for his reelection, following the official announcement by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The governor was declared the winner of Saturday’s gubernatorial election at 1.15 a.m. He scored 762,134 votes to beat Labour Party Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour (312,329) and PDP Abdul-Azeez Adediran (62,449 votes).

“Lagosians, you did not just vote for Babajide Sanwo-Olu. You voted for a greater Lagos. I promise that together we shall achieve this. This is a promise that shall not be broken. A greater Lagos shall be ours,” the reelected governor promised. “Let me boldly and proudly say that we are already well on the way to that greater Lagos, and we now have four more years to join hands to advance in ways that will pleasantly surprise even the most sceptical amongst us.”

“Lagos is what it is today because of each and every one of you, regardless of ethnicity, religion, political affiliation, gender or age. We are a vibrant and thriving hub of commerce, finance, entrepreneurship, innovation and culture because of the diversity that has come to define us over the decades and the centuries. Thank you,” stated Mr Sanwo-Olu.

He regretted that during the campaigns, divisive rhetorics were used.

“We saw hateful and hurtful ethnic profiling by fellow citizens – which is totally out of place for us as Lagosians, the proud residents of West Africa’s pre-eminent melting pot,” the Lagos governor stated. “I want to recognise and salute all the multitudes of residents who refused to succumb to those who sought and still seek to divide us with their unguarded and inciting comments.”

The governor did not specifically condemn President-elect Bola Tinubu’s spokesman Bayo Onanuga’s hate-filled rant against the Igbos in Lagos.

Mr Sanwo-Olu added, “Unfortunately, there are reports of skirmishes in some local government areas wherein some citizens were reported to have been injured. We strongly condemn these reprehensible incidents – that is definitely not who we are as a people.”

He revealed that “law enforcement and security agencies” had been directed to investigate “these breaches of the law and to ensure that those found culpable face the full wrath of the law.”

He called for the need to reaffirm the “spirit of solidarity and togetherness that binds us as Lagosians.”

(NAN)