The Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has raised the alarm that the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in last Saturday�s election in the state, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, plans to instigate violence in the state following his defeat at the poll.
Tinubu, who spoke at a news conference at his Alausa Secretariat office, alleged that Obanikoro was planning to finance criminals to make violent protests across the state.
Tinubu said he had been restraining supporters of the Action Congress from confronting the PDP supporters because the impression must not be created among Nigerians and foreign observers that the people of Lagos were unruly.
He said, �It is not in the character of the people of Lagos State to play politics of bitterness as the state has always made politics a convivial event.
�I urge members of the public to report all suspicious movements in their neighbourhood to security agencies who have been alerted on the intention to cause violence.�
In his reaction, Obanikoro said the allegation was false.
Speaking in an interview with our correspondent, he said, �It is not true, Tinubu and the Action Congress are just afraid that Lagosians may react to the results which do not represent the voting pattern.
�I am a Lagosian who is after peace. I won�t engage in any act that will disrupt the peace of the state. Tinubu is only afraid of his own shadow.�
The Deputy Governor, Chief Femi Pedro, who also contested on the platform of the Labour Party, said, �It is within my democratic right to point out irregularities and malpractices during the conduct of the election in which I participated and to seek redress where applicable.
�This is simply a matter of principle, justice and equit. I wish to state that I have not betrayed the government and people of Lagos State in any form whatsoever. My democratic credentials cannot be faulted in any way by my action. I will continue to show concern for the state and ensure that the will of the people is not subverted in anyway.�
Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the Action Congress, Chief Bisi Akande, on Monday praised the Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu for retaining the state in spite of what he described as serious intimidation.
Akande, who was reacting to the party�s victory in Lagos State in a telephone interview, said the governor had shown that he was a hero of Nigerian politics.
He said, �Tinubu is a hero of Nigerian politics that cannot be easily ignored by political tyrants. When he disgraced President Olusegun Obasanjo in the charade of 2003 election, I thought it was by chance.
�Now, in spite of Obasanjo�s camping of soldiers at the Dodan Barracks for Lagos election, Tinubu ridiculously smashed the ego of the dictator again.�