Ahead of the March 11 2023 guber elections, former deputy governor of Lagos State, Senator Kofo Bucknor-Akerele, has urged Labour Party members, popularly known as “Obidients,” to end Lagos state’s “tyranny” of more than 20 years.
In a news conference on Wednesday in Lagos’ Ikeja neighborhood, she made that statement while endorsing Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the LP candidate for governor in the March 11 election.
According to Channels TV, the Rhodes-Vivour family and leaders of the pan-Yoruba sociopolitical organization Afenifere were among the guests at the event where Bucknor-Akerele said, “I will like to thank the people of Lagos State because our freedom has just begun but we are only halfway there; we have to complete it on Saturday.”
Bucknor-Akerele, who served as Bola Tinubu’s deputy from 1999 to 2003, hailed young people for casting ballots in the February 25 presidential national assembly elections.
She urged Obidients not to be frightened by touts, adding Lagos had had enough of domination by them and warned voters not to be intimidated by political thugs who may try to attack voting places on Saturday, as happened during the presidential and National Assembly elections.
In her words; “I was so proud to see young people who came out to vote on election day. I say thank you but please don’t let that victory slip from our hands. You have brought us victory; don’t let these people intimidate you,” the former Lagos deputy governor stated.
“We have had enough of rule by touts in Lagos State. Everywhere you go at the bus stops, you see touts with the sticks beating people, driving people, is that the sort of government we want in Lagos State? Enough is enough. As we say in Yoruba, ‘O to ge!’
“Please come out in your millions. We registered over seven million votes in Lagos State. What happened? We know the figure that they wrote for us is not the correct figure but I beg you all, all of you who have voters cards, come out and free us from the tyranny that we have been undergoing for the last 20 years and more.”
