CHIDI is my friend and fan. He has reported that he went out to vote, and at the gate of the school, he was asked if he was igbo, and when he said yes, they asked him to go back to his house.
He went back and sent me a voice note where he asked me pointedly, Edgar, is this the Lagos you are supporting?
Chidi’s case is not in isolation as we are getting news from all over the state of voter intimidation on the back of an ethnic push.
In Shomolu, I witnessed it. As I walked into the unit, a bus of boys with canes came and started flogging those they felt were not for them.
This was annoyingly disgusting, and after order was restored, I told the highest officer of the ruling party off and threatened to walk out.
This is certainly not the Lagos I am supporting and definitely not the Lagos most Lagosians are supporting.
Candidates must be able to rein in their people, and I had expected His Excellency to have given a state-wide speech yesterday suing for peace and calm as we went out to vote today.
The situation is distressing and shameful, and I want to use this opportunity to call on the authorities to protect all voters as they go about their civic duties.
Anybody that emerges must emerge with the full support of the majority who came out to vote and not as a result of a jaundiced process.
This is certainly not the Lagos I am supporting.
*****
Commissioner of Police where exactly are you?
THESE elections were going to be very volatile, and one would have expected the new Commissioner of Police (Lagos) to have been better prepared for it.
All over Lagos, voters are being beaten up, maimed, and mutilated in the very absence of Police who I believe would have been well indentified for this exercise.
Police presence in Lagos is virtually non-existent, and where u see the odd Police man, he is either sleeping or totally overwhelmed.
Lagos is on fire, and it seems our new CP is really not foing anything about it.
Sir, if you are there, can you go to Okota, esp Ago Palace road, Shomolu, Eti Osa, Oniru, and other hotspots?
This is not our Lagos anymore
A Banana State in a Banana Republic with a Bula Balu President-elect..
*****
My brother Jide, I am conflicted
*’I see you as an urbane leader, who means well. This is why some of us still stand by you’
‘The sad thing is that the narrative of your stewardship was well received by Lagosians and you would have still won the race without all of the blood… Guess the system panicked. The results of 25th Feb must have spooked them, hence the traditional sacrifices and the rituals which had to come out… The strategy of flogging Lagosians into submission, my brother, can never be accepted. The humiliation of hounding us into a line for you must be overtly rejected by you’
YOU would think I was on the ballot as pictures and videos of the mayhem that occurred all over Lagos were being sent to me.
Truth is that I was the closest to your campaign that most people could ever get, hence the deluge. It was saddening.
In the morning, I went into Shomolu Ward F2 to be precise to secure my polling unit for you.
As we set about our task which was majorly making sure that everything was OK, the “boys” arrived in two buses.
They started floging ‘igbo’ people. I tried to stop them, and they threatened to flog the Duke of Shomolu, thereby creating a division amongst themselves.
Arrrghhhh, you know know who stand for your front, one group shouted. The other group shouted, “we no care na igbo.”
My supporters overwhelmed the others, and they now reunited in flooging and scaring away anybody who didn’t look like APC.
Same, we hear was the case in some strategic voter blocks in Lagos. We saw videos of sorrow, tears and blood all over the place, especially in Okota, where famed musician Tee Mac had to come out with dogs for his own protection.
My brother Jide, I am conflicted cos I stood by you believing very strongly that you are a reformist candidate, and as such, we should give you another chance at continuity while instituting major reforms.
The sad thing is that the narrative of your stewardship was well received by Lagosians and you would have still won the race without all of the blood.
Guess the system panicked. The results of 25th Feb must have spooked them, hence the traditional sacrifices and the rituals which had to come out.
The strategy of flogging Lagosians into submission, my brother, can never be accepted. The humiliation of hounding us into a line for you must be overtly rejected by you.
I see you as an urbane leader who means well. This is why some of us still stand by you.
You must come out and condemn this violence very strongly and begin to put a more inclusive policy framework that would ensure a cohesive rebuilding of Lagos.
The Gowon RRR policy could be your point of reference, cos yes, we just came out of a war.
Bro, Lagos was under siege, and it was sorrow tears and blood all over the weary city.
I still remain assured of your benevolent leadership and I am of the firm believe that history is beckoning on you to show that you can be that leader that will finally show us the true light and this is why I still stand with you despite all of this nonsense.
Bro, you must rise up to the dictates of a historical leader without recourse to the shallowness of ethnicity and primordial primitive hold on to power for power and not for the good of mankind.
Anything less and you will receive the flogging of history which I assure you will not be compared to the flogging and beating we received yesterday
Congratulations, my Governor, I wish you well.
Thanks, Duke of Shomolu
*Edgar aka Duke of Shomolu, ex-Investment Banker, is the CEO of Duke of Somolu Productions, and avid public commentator
