By Lukman Olabiyi, Lagos
Vehicular movement around and within the Lagos Island area was standstill Saturday morning as state Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu kicked off his second term campaign at Mobolaji Johnson Arena (Old Onikan Stadium), Onikan.
Despite the travel advisory issued by the state Ministry of Transportation prior to the event, motorists en route to Lagos Island, Victoria Island, Lekki, Ajah and others still experienced heavy traffic to get to their various destinations.
Many loyalists of the All Progressive Congress (APC) who flooded the areas, constituted a bottleneck for free vehicular movement.
Speaking at the rally on Saturday, the governor boasted about his performance and held that his scorecard would earn him a second term.
The governor also revealed that his administration’s proactiveness saved the state from being submerged by flood.
According to him, the fact that Lagos State was not submerged by the flood that recently ravaged many parts of the country despite the fact that the state is less than two metres above sea level was not a fluke, but the result of proactive measures taken to avert the disaster.
He urged Lagosians to reelect him, and also for the presidential candidate of his party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and other candidates of the party for continuous efficient service delivery.
Governor Sanwo-Olu said his administration did not take the support and mandate given to him over three years ago when he was elected as the governor of the state for granted, saying his administration worked so hard to overcome challenges caused by the global economic meltdown and other upheavals that shook the world.
He said the campaign slogan, which is Greater Lagos Rising, was informed by the giant strides his administration recorded through the THEMES agenda, saying tremendous progress was made in the areas of transportation and traffic management in the state.
Governor Sanwo-Olu said, ‘’You can see the completion of our rail projects, you have seen rail in Lagos for the first time in over 40, 50 years there will be an intra-city rail system. We have completed it and we are going to be handling it to you. You have seen our commitment to all of our BRT corridors, first and last-mile buses, new taxis, you have seen our commitment on ferry terminals, the development of ferry terminals in seventeen locations across Lagos.
‘’We have resolved the Apapa gridlock, you have seen a new energized LASTMA that is working tirelessly, you have seen the construction and completion of the Lekki Deep seaport. You have seen the Regional Road that we are doing, you have seen the road going to Epe. You have seen the roads being constructed in Ikorodu, Alimosho, Ikoyi and Victoria Island, every part of the state.’’
In his welcome address, the Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) Lagos State, Hon. Cornelius Ojelabi said the party has been the ruling party in the state since the advent of democratic governance in the country, assuring the electorate that the party will not disappoint them.