By Ayomide Otitoju
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Sunday administered the oath of office to newly elected chairmen and vice chairmen across the 57 Local Government Areas and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in Lagos State, urging them to prioritize inclusive governance and grassroots development.
The council officials, elected on July 12 under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), were sworn in at a ceremony held at the Sports Ground of Lagos House, Ikeja.
Describing the inauguration as a call to selfless leadership, Governor Sanwo-Olu charged the newly sworn-in officials to lead with “courage, compassion, and clarity of purpose.”
“The people have entrusted you not just with votes, but with their hopes—better roads, safer communities, improved health centres, thriving schools, and responsive governance,” he said. “Let the THEMES+ agenda come alive in your domains. Our success as a government is tied to your performance.”
Sanwo-Olu stressed that the state would support the chairmen but would also hold them to high standards, warning that there would be no room for underperformance or breach of trust.
The governor also highlighted the ongoing push for local government autonomy, noting that Lagos had long upheld fiscal and administrative independence for councils, now backed by a Supreme Court ruling.
“With direct access to council funds comes direct accountability. The buck stops with you,” he said.
Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Development, Hon. Bolaji Kayode Robert, described the election as a reaffirmation of public trust and commended the peaceful, credible process facilitated under Sanwo-Olu’s leadership.
Speaking on behalf of the new chairmen, Hon. Sesan Olowa of Ibeju-Lekki LGA pledged to uphold the values of the APC and deliver tangible development across wards and communities.
Dignitaries at the event included Deputy Governor Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, members of the Governance Advisory Council, state executive members, traditional and religious leaders, and community stakeholders.
