Fashola Explains Why He Never Received Security Votes During His Tenure As Lagos Governor

Former Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, has stated that he never received any funds designated as security votes throughout his eight-year tenure in office.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Fashola made the disclosure on Friday while speaking during a panel session at The Platform in Lagos.

The former Minister of Works said that although discussions about security votes are common among public office holders, he could not relate to such conversations because no such arrangement existed during his administration in Lagos State.

According to him, all expenditures and procurement related to security matters were processed through the state’s Ministry of Budget and Planning, rather than through a separate pool of funds.

He maintained that at no point during his tenure was he allocated or paid any money classified as a security vote.

Fashola stressed that he could only speak based on his personal experience as governor, insisting that no such funding mechanism was available to him while he served the state.

Explaining Lagos State’s approach to security financing, he noted that his administration relied on a Security Trust Fund, which attracted contributions from private individuals, corporate organisations, and other stakeholders to support security operations.

“This issue of security votes is something I often hear people talk about, but I honestly do not know what it means because I never had such a fund while serving as governor of Lagos State,” he said.

“All security-related acquisitions and expenditures were managed through the Ministry of Budget and Planning. If other governors received what is referred to as a security vote, I cannot speak for them. I can only speak for my administration, and there was no security vote.”

Fashola recalled that his government held monthly security meetings throughout his eight years in office, using crime statistics and security data to evaluate progress and shape policy decisions.

He explained that the Lagos State Security Trust Fund was established to enable residents and organisations contribute directly to strengthening security infrastructure and operations.

According to him, the fund’s finances and assets were subjected to regular audits, while annual town hall meetings were held to account to residents for how resources were spent and to provide updates on crime trends and security performance across the state.

He added that the administration consistently tracked crime data year after year to assess changes, measure effectiveness, and improve public safety strategies.