Former Lagos State Governor and ex-Minister of Works, Housing and Power, Babatunde Fashola, has stated that he never received security votes throughout his eight years in office as governor of Lagos State.
Fashola made the clarification on Friday during a June 12 Democracy Day programme organised by The Platform, where he featured in a panel session alongside former Senate President, Bukola Saraki.
He spoke while responding to questions on how security votes are managed at the state level, especially amid ongoing concerns about transparency and accountability in their utilisation.
Fashola dismissed the belief that governors personally collect or directly control security vote funds, describing such assumptions as inaccurate.
He insisted that during his tenure, no such funds were ever handed to him in a personal capacity.
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According to him, financial management in Lagos State under his administration was strictly institutional, with all state revenues processed through established government structures rather than being placed under individual control.
He explained that funds accruing to the state were channelled through the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, ensuring formal oversight and administrative accountability.
Fashola, who later served as Minister of Works, Power and Housing under the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, stressed that this system guided how public resources were handled during his time in office.
His comments come amid renewed public debate over the operation of security votes in Nigeria, with growing calls for greater transparency in how state governments manage such allocations.