‘We’ll vote for him’ — Ohanaeze declares support for Sanwo-Olu

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.