By Tajudeen Olanrewaju
The peopel of Ọṣun State have spoken. We congratulate them for their courage and for their bold insistence on asserting their inalienable democratic right. The will of the people have prevailed.
But along the lines of our non partisan disposition, we are indifferent to which party won the election. We are only interested in the will of the people.
We, the Omo Eko Pataki, now emphasize, for the umpteenth time, the absolute importance of equitable representation of our people in the governance of Lagos State, regardless of whichever party comes to power in 2023. The voice of our people must not only be heard, it must be heard with vigor and demonstrable importance.
The Ọmọ Eko Pataki bears no party affiliation. We do not and we will not align with any party. What is of particular interest to us is the welfare of our people as indigenes of our dear state.
We want the best for our people. We want fairness and justice in the distribution of state resources. We want our people to occupy a place of pride in the steering of the rudder of the leadership of our state.
In this wise, we, as Ọmọ Eko Pataki, exhort the parties to inculcate the principle of native inclusiveness as the cardinal point of their vision. We bear no grudges against any party or leadership. We uphold the sacred principle of non alignment. But of this much we will not compromise: the indigenes of Lagos State must have a significant representation in the governance of our state. It is when this happens that democracy can be truly strengthened and we can all truly affirm that justice and fairness have taken firm root in our state.
•Olanrewaju, DSS, FSS, psc+, ndc, a retired Major General and former General Officer Commanding, GOC, Third Armoured Division and former Minister of Communications, is a Trustee of Ọmọ Eko Pataki, a social-cultural organisation of indigenes of Lagos State, and writes from Lagos.
