Grand patron of the Buhari/Osinbajo Mandate Group in Lagos State, Chief Lanre Razak has ascribed the victory of Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu to the goodwill Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu enjoys among Lagosians.
He said the triumph of the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate and the election of 40 lawmakers of the All Progressives Congress (APC) into the House of Assembly was the best way Lagos electorate could appreciate the former two-term governor for his contributions to the socio-economic development of Lagos.
Razak said the people should expect good governance and more dividends of democracy from the incoming governor considering his pedigree as former private sector guru and active participant in the Lagos public service for many years.
According to him, Sanwo-Olu would always put the interest of the ordinary people of the state first in his service to fatherland.
Razak, former commissioner for public transportation in the state said: “I want to assure Lagosians that there will be more socio-economic transformation during Sanwo-Olu’s tenure as governor and the people of Lagos State as well as other Nigerians will be happy that they have made the right choice in electing him and putting him in charge of affairs.
“But let me make this strong appeal to them that all they need to do is to cooperate fully with the incoming governor by paying their rates and taxes as at when due and should watch Lagos grow in leaps and bounds in infrastructural development and human capital like never before witnessed in the state and everybody will be happy for it.
“He has the fear of God and will always put the interest of ordinary Lagosians first in the development of the state. He believes that God gives power through the people who will be his first priority in office because good governance is about the people.”
Sanwo-Olu with his running mate, Obafemi Hamzat, handed the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who ran with Mrs. Oluyemi Busari a resounding.
Razak, the Balogun General of Epe attributed Sanwo-Olu’s overwhelming acceptance and support by Lagosians to Tinubu’s sterling performance while in office and subsequently the continued trust and confidence the people have in the leadership of Asiwaju.
Tinubu’s leadership traits and administrative style while in office as governor for eight years, he maintained, remain second to none and a golden era for the state, adding that serving and incoming governors across the states should draw from his fountain of wisdom and wealth of experience.
Agbaje had during electioneering claimed that the state was under the firm grip of a political godfather from whom Lagosians must be liberated.
But Razak also a member of the Lagos Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), said on the contrary, Tinubu’s track record of meritorious service and provision of people-oriented development projects in Lagos has not be surpassed by any governor till date.
“He left Lagos in a higher level of social and economic development than he met it, making the state the most prosperous among the 36 states. For instance when he assumed office in May 1999, the state internally generated revenue, IGR was about N600 million monthly but today the state is raking in an average of over N30billion in IGR per month which is the highest by any state government nationwide.
“From the records also, there was no noticeable additional tax burden imposed by his administration on payers. Rather all he did was to bring about very scientific financial engineering which entailed blocking of all revenue loopholes and the payment of all government revenue into the same account, the Treasury Single Account, TSA to meet the development needs of Lagosians”.
Under Tinubu according to Razak, Lagosians not only heaved a sigh of relief and enjoyed unprecedented developmental strides but that “what the people have done by massively voting for Mr. Sanwo-Olu and other APC candidates in the state is to appreciate and say thank you to Asiwaju for his extremely uncommon leadership traits.
“Whereas Marcus Buckingham sees leadership as primarily, the act of gaining the confidence of followers, Asiwaju has gone a notch further by putting to shame those who are pathological liars, very lazy, politically naïve and didn’t understand what they were saying by telling our people that Lagos is in slavery or under bondage.
“I congratulate and thank Lagosians who trooped out to speak with their PVCs and vote APC candidates during the elections. They have elected not only the right people but rejected those who wanted to throw them into bondage, cause hardship and possibly loot the state’s treasury.
“That cannot happen in Lagos State in the 21st Century. We thank Asiwaju Tinubu for being there for us the people of Lagos State. Besides, there is no basis to compare the leadership qualities of Asiwaju Tinubu with that of the outgoing president of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki who was also a former governor of Kwara State for eight years.There can’t be O to ge’’ syndrome in Lagos State because Asiwaju is very humane and generous.”