Fashola: Enemies of Nigeria Introduced Ethnicity, Religion in Politics

Gboyega Akinsanmi Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, yesterday warned against using ethnicity and religion as the weapon of campaign, noting that people, who introduced ethnicity and religion in the politics, “are enemies of Nigeria.”

The governor also lamented 16 years of outright denial, which he said the state government suffered so much in the hand of federal government just because the state was governed by the opposition party.

He stated this at a session with the members of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NUTRW) he addressed at Lagos House, Ikeja alongside the Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa among others.

At the session, the governor said the people, who introduce ethnicity and religion “into the country’s politics did not mean well for us. And that was why I have continued to challenge them that what did they do.”

Fashola likened the election time to examination period in schools, noting that if one “does not study, one cannot pass. It is those who cannot pass that will prefer to destabilize any process. We all have the right to vote for anyone.

“Though some people did not vote for us at the last election but it does not translate to hatred. All we need to do is to appeal to them to vote for our candidate. We are all Nigerians and the dividend of democracy is for all.”

He, thus, said: “The most important thing I need from the residents of Lagos in Saturday’s election is 3 million votes and I want everything to be done for Ambode. Half of this number was what you gave me in 2011. At this moment, we cannot align with another party except the party at the centre.

“We have spent 16 years as opposition and we did not join the party at the centre. After every election, electorate must embrace one another irrespective of the party that showed allegiance to. We must not see ourselves as enemy rather explain issues to one another. Politics is contact sports.

“After the game, we hug one another and play another time. Our engagement in politics is a continuous engagement. We must continue to persuade one another and not threaten. When there is trust between us, all those things that appear to be divisive will become unimportant.