* Amid rising tension after APC’s loss to LP
Ahead of the March 11 governorship and State Assembly elections in Nigeria, Lagos State governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has appealed to residents in the State to embrace peace.
The governor made the appeal through a statement via his Twitter account on Thursday.
Noting the rising tension in the State after last Saturday’s elections, and particularly after the Labour Party won the majority votes in Lagos State, beating the All Progressives Congress (APC) to a second place, the governor appealed for unity and understanding.
“We have seen emotions arise across the country and in our melting pot, Lagos. I acknowledge these feelings because this is the beauty of true democracy—we all have different views.
“However, we accommodate those differing views thoughtfully and peacefully.
“Lagos remains the greatest city in Nigeria and one of the largest economies in West Africa. Despite sitting on only 1% of Nigeria’s landmass—a third of that being water—we house 10% of Nigeria’s population.
“Together, we’ve always been able to overcome and thrive, not because of the challenges but despite them. Together, we united to support and protect each other during the COVID-19 pandemic, and in doing so, we kept our citizens safe and our casualties low. Together, we nurtured a creative industry that has taken over the airwaves globally. Together, we contributed to fostering a vibrant start-up community that creates new unicorn businesses.
“The constant drive to succeed and build is the beauty of the melting pot that is Lagos. We should all remember we are Nigerians, as well as Lagosians. We must continue to come together and keep the peace.
“I remain committed to accelerating that development and pushing us forward towards being the 21st-century economy for which we all pray,” his tweet read.