By Olasunkanmi Akoni, Monsuru Olowoopejo & Gabriel Olawale
LAGOS—AHEAD of  the Saturday governorship and state House of Assembly elections, National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, yesterday, urged party members and supporters to eschew violence but ensure victory for the APC during the exercise.

L-R: Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, with National Leader, All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Chairman, APC Lagos, Alhaji Tunde Balogun during the a Stakeholders’ meeting at the Party Secretariat, Acme Road, Ogba, on Wednesday, February 20, 2019.

This came as Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State and APC governorship candidate, Babajide Sanwo-Olu assured voters that security challenges experienced during the residential and National Assembly elections would not be experienced during Saturday’s polls.

Tinubu gave the charge, while addressing  party members at a stakeholders’ meeting at Lagos APC Secretariat, Acme, Ogba, after a closed-door meeting with members of the Governor’s Advisory Council, GAC.

Tinubu urged them to  stand firm, “work and deliver your polling unit to party. If you lose your polling unit, you are on your own. If you lose your constituency, don’t come home, it means you can’t deliver.”

He said: “It is shameful that we couldn’t get 50 per cent voters. Alimosho was a disappointment in the last election. Oshodi was struggling, Kosofe and Somolu barely showed off, they didn’t do well.

“Go and deliver. We don’t want to fight, we want to win election. Those of us with high level of confidence are not going to fight. We want you to defeat the opposition at the polls. When they provoke you, don not react.

“Go to your ward and see your leaders at the local government level and tell them what you did to bring out people to cast their vote. Act like a leader. We want you to work for the party and enjoy benefits.”

“Go and help the elders and people to come out and vote. Don’t go out and play football on election day. Go out and perform your civic right.”

Similarly, Ambode, who spoke after the weekly Executive meeting at the State House, Alausa, Secretariat, Ikeja, noted that efforts have been intensified to ensure that every registered voter in the state participates without any security hindrances.

Accompanied by his deputy, Dr. Idiat Adebule, and other cabinet members,  the governor said: “We are aware of the incidences that occurred after the Presidential and National Assembly election in the state. We have taken proper care of that. We understand that everyone in Lagos is same.

“The peace, harmonious relationship and security that had existed in the state are very paramount to this government. We will ensure that everyone that is eligible to vote, perform his civic duties without intimidation.”

“We encourage every resident that has been registered by INEC to come out and perform their civic duties. The security agencies have assured us that there will be adequate security in the state during and after the poll”, Ambode said.

PSP endorses Sanwo-Olu, Hamzat

On his part, the Chairman, association of Waste Managers of Nigeria, Mr. Oladipo Egbeyemi, while endorsing candidacy of Sanwo-Olu, urged its members not to relent in their house to house campaign for the APC governorship candidate.

Egbeyemi said: “We are using this medium to assure our governorship candidate and other APC candidates of our support, and also pledge to deliver over 500,000 votes come March 9.”

https://newlive.vanguardngr.com/2019/03/elections-navy-marine-police-to-carry-out-24-hrs-surveillance-of-riverine-communities-cp-muazu/

Earlier, Sanwo-Olu, represented by his running-mate, Dr. Femi Hamzat, also urged voters to come out en-masse and vote for APC candidates and  admonished Lagosians not to instigate tribal fight in the name of politics even as he pledged to run inclusive governance if elected.

Speaking during a Mega rally organized by Private Sector Participants, PSP operators in Lagos State, Sanwo-Olu, said:”All that our party members need to do is to remind non indigenes that since 1999 Lagos State government has been running inclusive government. We have been paying WAEC fees in secondary schools for Igbo, Yoruba, and Hausa without discrimination.

“All we need to do is to keep reminding them what they stand to gain when they vote for APC, am sure they will support us and vote for us.”

https://newlive.vanguardngr.com/2019/03/why-buhari-must-address-xenophobic-threats-in-lagos-before-gov-polls-observer-group/