Sanwo-Olu to Lagosians: We must come together and keep the peace

Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos, has asked residents in the state to remain peaceful and accommodate differing views.

In a series of posts on Twitter on Thursday, Sanwo-Olu said he acknowledged the feelings of the people, noting that emotions were running high across the country. 

He said it is the beauty of democracy that people are allowed to hold different opinions.

The governor urged the people of Lagos to unite and continue to push for the development of the state. 

“Dear Lagosians. We have seen emotions arise across the country and in our melting pot, Lagos,” Sanwo-Olu writes. 

“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 percent of Nigeria’s landmass—a third of that being water—we house 10 percent 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.”

Sanwo-Olu is seeking a second term in the office in the coming March 11 governorship election.

His appeal to the residents follows the results of the February 25 presidential election where his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) lost the state to the opposition Labour Party (LP).

The LP won the state after the votes were calculated from all the 20 LGAs, polling 582,354 votes.

It was the first time an opposition party would win the state which has remained the stronghold of Bola Tinubu, a former governor and Nigeria’s president-elect.

Tinubu had called for calm among the people of Lagos after the results were announced.