The governor of Nigeria’s most populous state has said he no longer wants to be referred to as “His Excellency”, suggesting “Mr Governor” as a more representative title.
In a series of social media posts, Babajide Sanwo-Olu wrote that he believed that the title “Your Excellency” had come to represent an “authoritarian disposition, executive arrogance, and a demi-god mystique”.
He added that this led elected officials to see themselves as oppressors, rather than serve their constituents. Mr Sanwo-Olu concluded that the office of the governor called for “sacrifice, modesty and a willingness to add value to the lives of the people”.
There has been some criticism of the statement on social media by users who said they were not concerned with titles, and worried instead about the state of Lagos’ infrastructure.
Many roads around the state have been badly affected by seasonal rains, massive flooding and chronic under-investment.
