Presidential/NASS polls: I felt sad over Okota violence – Tinubu

Ismail Omipidan

Former Lagos State governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has said he was disturbed over the violence that broke out two weeks ago in Okota, Lagos, during the presidential and National Assembly elections.

This is even as he argued that the isolated incident was not enough to categorise the election as one that was violent.

He made these known while fielding questions from journalists shortly after he cast his vote at his polling unit Ward 3, Unit 047, Ikeja, Lagos.

The APC National Leader, accompanied by some of his aides arrived the polling station by 12 noon. And by 12:15 p.m, he had cast his vote.

“I take exception to what happened in Okota two weeks ago. I am very upset about that incidence placing Lagos as if we are violence-prone.

“We have about 1,325 polling units in Lagos State and only five units were affected in Okota. That should not mean that the election was a failure in the state.

“If we should rate it, the election should be about 97 per cent rate of success. An incident in Okota should not be used to generalise the whole election in Lagos State.

“The success rate should have been the story not the ugly incident that should be the story,” the former governor said.

To this end, he appealed to the media to desist from hyping negative stories, insisting that such attributes would not bring about the necessary progress.

“For the media, how can five units out of 1,325 units constitute a violent election and were given hype that Lagos is violent; we cannot do justice to that.

“How can we have development to the economy and the medium of information? In terms of security, Lagos has always been ready to celebrate democracy and is violence-free.

“The security officials are doing well and the INEC has started well too with the logistics well managed.

“The voters came out en masse,” Tinubu said, adding that the state would always continue to be home for all irrespective of wherever they come from.

“We will continue to welcome everybody to Lagos State. We cannot stop people from coming to the state. If Lagos is not good enough, they won’t come.

“If the state is plagued with disease or insecurity or unemployment, people won’t come. Those leaving their states to come to Lagos are welcomed, they are not a threat,” Tinubu said.