Honourable Sanni Ganiyu Babatunde Okanlawon (Okla)
The lawmaker representing the illustrious people of Kosofe constituency 1 at the Lagos State house of Assembly Honourable Sanni Ganiyu Babatunde Okanlawon has charged people that are of voting age not to take local government election for granted, rather, they should take it seriously because it is a determinant of what grassroot development would be.
Newsconnect reports that Okla made this assertion in an interview with journalists at his polling unit in Okugade Street, Mende, Maryland after he had casted his vote.
“The crowd is not enough compared to when we conducted elections for house of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate, Gubernatorial election and Presidential election.
“The turnout is a challenge. If people knew that the most important of all the elections is the local government election, it has direct dealing with the grassroots.
“Whatever you do at this level of our electoral process, it permeates down the line, into the grassroot, into the community. It is very very important, that our people should realize that you don’t take local government election with levity, it is something you must take very seriously.
“This is a determinant of what the grassroot is going to be, if you show apathy, any idiots wil come and vote and become your chairman or councilor. So this is a determining point where we must exercise our franchise to ensuring that we bring well meaning people whose social contract is service on board as our leaders.
“As a lawmaker we have done our beat. We have just reviewed the local government administrative law to be in tandem with current trends of things. It requires implementation by the people.
“The onus lies on the people to exercise their franchise. We will continue to do advocacy, sensitisation. That is what remains as our own responsibility so that our people can become more and more aware of their responsibilities to their community”. He said