Former Lagos State governor and ex-Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has stated that he never received security votes during his tenure as governor, challenging the widespread belief that state governors routinely access such funds.
Fashola made the remarks on Friday while speaking during a panel session at The Platform, a public affairs programme organised by The Covenant Nation in Lagos.
Responding to discussions around security votes, the former governor insisted that no such arrangement existed during his administration in Lagos State.
“This security vote thing – whenever I hear some of my colleagues talk about it, I don’t know what it means because I never had it in Lagos,” Fashola said.
He maintained that all security-related spending under his administration was handled through official government channels and properly captured in the state’s budgeting framework.
“I was the governor, so I speak for what I know. There was no security vote. All our acquisitions were domiciled in the Ministry of Budget and Planning,” he said.
Fashola, who governed Lagos State between 2007 and 2015, said he could not account for claims by other governors regarding security votes, stressing that such funds were not part of his experience in office.
Referring to former Kwara State governor, Bukola Saraki, who was also present at the event, Fashola remarked that he was unaware of where such funds were sourced from.
“I don’t know if Governor Saraki got that kind of money. I didn’t get it, and I don’t know where they were getting it,” he added.
The former minister explained that Lagos adopted a different approach to financing security operations, relying largely on contributions from residents through the state’s Security Trust Fund.
According to him, the fund operated transparently, with regular audits and public accountability mechanisms.
Fashola recalled that his administration held monthly security meetings throughout his eight years in office, noting that he personally attended every session.
“Back in the day, we used to have a monthly security meeting. It was held every first Wednesday of the month for eight years, and I never missed that meeting,” he said.
He added that the state consistently tracked crime statistics and reported progress to residents through annual town hall engagements, where government officials provided updates on security spending and crime trends.
The former governor said the battle against crime requires more than security hardware and enforcement measures, arguing that effective policies and data-driven interventions are equally important.
“It wasn’t just a battle won with arms and guns; it was also a battle won with policies,” he said.
Fashola further described crime as an evolving challenge that demands continuous adaptation from governments and security agencies.
“Crime is very dynamic. As you win one battle, a new crime emerges. It doesn’t end. That is the unending work of all of these people who sit here. It doesn’t end until you die,” he stated.
His comments come amid recurring public debates over the management, transparency and accountability of security votes across Nigeria’s states.
