The Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has been re-elected, he reclaimed his seat during the governorship election which occurred on March 18, 2023.
He received 762,134 votes, defeating Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the Labour Party, who received 312,329 votes, and Abdul-Azeez Adediran aka Jandor, who received 62,449 votes.
Sanwo-Olu was declared the winner at 1:15 a.m. on Monday, nearly 48 hours after the election began.
The results were announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the commission’s state collation center, but not before the LP collation agent condemned the exercise.
Voter suppression, ethnic discrimination, political thuggery, and physical attacks on voters, electoral staff, and security personnel all occurred during the election.
In the midst of the reports, Lagos State Commissioner of Police Idowu Owohunwa assured Lagosians that security personnel deployed for the election were responding quickly to the cases, saying “a lot of arrests” and “recoveries” had been made.
In his acceptance speech, Sanwo-Olu stated that Lagosians had made their voices heard.
“To all of our fellow contestants, we want to salute you for participating in the democratic process, but Lagosians have spoken and have spoken well. They have spoken loud,” he said.
“Please remember that we’re extending a hand of fellowship to you, no victor, no vanquished. In the true spirit of sportsmanship, if you indeed believe that you want to serve this state, you have an opportunity with us and we will open our doors to listen and to give you a space in this government.
“During this campaign, unfortunately, we have seen very divisive rhetoric which is not a definition of who we are.”
“So, Lagosians, we need to come together and further rebuild the capacity, the competence, and the experience that we have in this city. Religion should not divide us, ethnicity will not divide us. Lagos will come out bigger, stronger, and better,” Sanwo-Olu said.
