A Letter To Mr. President Concerning 2015 Lagos Polls

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I want to use this medium to draw the attention of President Goodluck Jonathan ahead of Lagos polls. It is sad that politics is now do or die affairs in Lagos State. As you prepare for your Presidential elections, you should remember that Lagos is a cosmopolitan state that needs security attention in all ramifications.

It has been alleged that some desperate politicians from the ruling party in the state have decided to purchase highly sophisticated arms and ammunition to fight the opposition party to the end. If 2015 prediction is nothing to go by, Lagos State should be given a serious attention in terms of deploying security operatives for the elections.Lagosians are tired of imposition of candidates on the electorates who are sometimes helpless.

Since last year December, some densely populated areas in Lagos State like Amukoko, Orile-Iganmu, Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Tolu, Oshodi, Alaba Oro, Mushin, Lagos Island and others have turned into a free for all fight where political thugs desperately sponsored by these recycled politicians to cause mayhem in the state.

Amukoko area is no go area where people are killed on daily basis and property worth millions of naira destroyed. In Ojo road in Ajegunle residents live with one eye opened while their shops are being destroyed by these so-called hoodlums of these power-drunk politicians.

One major problem brewing in Lagos campaigns is that supporters pasting posters of their candidates in one dominating environment of the ruling party, these paid thugs are employed to chase out their opposition supporters with guns, knives, bottles and others. Sir this is not good for credible elections in Nigeria where either opposition or ruling supporters don't have freedom of pasting their candidates' posters anymore.

Most politicians in Lagos are desperate for power at all cost using all diabolic means to fight their opposition candidates.Mr.President sir, I want you to caution your supporters over various media calumnies against General Muhammed Buhari(Rtd) which is not good for democracy.

This election should address issues not throwing expletives on each other in the name of 2015 elections. In Orile-Iganmu recently no fewer than 6 persons were killed in a fell swoop in the name of elections. Some streets in Lagos are no go area in terms of pockets of violence being carried out by these monthly paid thugs in Lagos State. Lagos is the heart of Nigeria's economy and its needed full attention on this coming election.

Lagos State is not for all Yorubas alone, even the Yoruba ruling the state are not the real originals of Lagos State, so why all these political brouhaha that If ruling party does not take over, then war must come. Lagos politicians cannot decide the future of Lagosians for us because some have failed us abysmally. The ruling party runs politics of tribalism, imposition and selection without consulting the electorates for political advice.

The last selected Executive Secretaries of the 57 local governments were an indication of autocratic system of government being operated by the ruling party in the state. All the local governments in the state are being used by the ruling party to paste their posters making other political parties irrelevant in the polity.

Mr President sir, you have to take an urgent step to deploy security operatives as you did in Ekiti State where electoral manipulators could not gain entrance into the polls.

The same political desperadoes using various social media to campaign against the national leadership. Politics ought not to be do or die affairs in Lagos State. Your government should focus on Lagos polls to avoid bloodshed of 1993 and 1999.In Amukoko area, one desperate politician has been in power for 16 years without relinquishing power to the younger generation and intending to fight for Lagos State House of Assembly speakership at all cost making Ifelodun LCDA ungovernable in recent times. Those that have better plans for the state are not allowed to govern the state.

Sir, Lagos State does not belong to either APC or PDP but rightful candidates should be elected into power than one godfather who ought to retire from Lagos politics continues to create political nuisance in the state. The fear of living in Lagos is the beginning of many people being secretly murdered by powers that be. The same infamous politicians that were forcing people to get their party registration cards at all cost and even to the extend of wooing people on the streets of the state.

These thugs are paid to destabilize Lagos 2015 polls. They know very well that the present ruling party governorship candidate cannot march the opposition candidate in the state. All Lagosians have indicated interest to vote out bad candidates that have imposed high taxes on the voters claiming that the state is moving on well.

Finally, Mr.President sir, keep watch on Lagos polls and let INEC remove all their electoral offices from the local governments in Lagos State if free and fair elections must be truly practiced in the state. Some of these politicians have connived with some of these corrupt INEC officials to manipulate electoral results in previous elections. Some of these thugs are paid to chase out eligible voters from the polling booths on every given Election Day. It is time for President Goodluck Jonathan to act fast to avoid another Lagos polls manipulation in the state.

Godday Odidi
Public Affairs Analyst
08058124798
Lagos

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Articles by Godday Odidi