The Fate Of Lagos State Rests On The Shoulders Of Yorubas; No Ethnicity Blame Game

By Otunba T.J Abass

• The buildup to the 2023 Lagos governorship election has witnessed false arguments that Lagos is no man’s land. 

• But the Yoruba people undoubtedly own Lagos as the numbers show.

• Saturday, March 11, 2023, is an important day to ensure the survival of the Yoruba race in Lagos by coming out to vote.

The Genesis of Lagos

Lagos State, a land of rich culture and thriving economy, was formed from the Western Region and the former Federal Capital Territory on 27 May 1967.

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Over the course of 56 years, it has grown into a symbol of hope and progress, a haven for all who call it home. Now, in the face of yet another pivotal election, the fate of Lagos hangs in the balance. It is up to us, the people of this great state, to make a decision that will either secure its existence or condemn it to extinction.

This election is not about politics but our heritage

This election is not just about politics; it is about our heritage, our identity, and the very essence of our being. For if Lagos were to fall, it would spell the doom of the Yoruba race as we know it.

Let us rise up, then, and defend our homeland with all the passion and determination that it deserves. Let us show the world that Lagos is not just a city but a living, breathing entity that is worth fighting for. Together, we can ensure that our legacy endures for generations to come.

The genesis of this predicament

How did we get into this predicament? It didn’t just or unsuspectingly creep into us. It has been a gradual, meticulous, deliberate grand design of this hostile takeover of the most civilized yoruba state. Still, our political class has deliberately ignored this due for pecuniary or self-aggrandizing.

Alas, how could we have turned a blind eye to the very statistics that Lagos politicians have ignored over the year.

Jandor

With a humble sum of 880,000 votes, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu emerged victorious in the 1999 gubernatorial election.

He won his second term bid with almost 1.3 million votes.

Fashola clinched his first term bid with an approximate count of 1.2 million votes, while his second term garnered a more sizable 1.5 million votes.

Akinwunmi Ambode won his election with 850, 000 votes.

Babajide Sanwo-Olu emerged victorious with a paltry 750,000 votes, in a state with the largest number of Yoruba people dispersed throughout its expanse. Despite this alarming trend, our political class has exhibited a disquieting indifference to the situation.

Labour Party governorship candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour

Some of our politicians have seen themselves as being larger than life with their self-delusional arrogance and unnecessary pomposity treating the voters with levity and so much impunity.

While the political class may have been an active participant in this scheme, the role of our traditional rulers can’t be ignored (with utmost regard to the highly revered custodian of our traditional values), the land grabbers, the land sellers Omo Oniles who profit on selling lands to the highest bidders without considering the repercussions of their glutinous act.

The Igbos are not responsible for our predicament

There are enough blames to go round but this is the time to come together and act and stop blaming those of Igbo extraction.

Birds of a feather flock together, they say; it’s no surprise to see the Igbos gravitating towards their cultural kin. With the right to exercise their democratic choice, they will likely vote for their preferred candidate in the upcoming election, and we can expect the natural order of things to unfold. The force of social physics will be in play, much like the flow of water finding its own level.

The Obidients span beyond the circle of Igbos, reaching into every tribe and political creed. They are a group of the disenchanted and disheartened, united by a shared distaste for the failures and inadequacies of the aged leaders. Thus, we must channel the power of our Lagosian resources, drawing upon the vastness of the Yoruba populace to halt any looming upheavals that threaten to capsize our people.

Lagos is a Yoruba state!

It is an inconceivable fact the Igbos would outnumber the Yoruba in Lagos, but the result of the presidential election is antithetical to the statistics. What is wrong, and why apathy? All these must be addressed before Saturday.

What is the staff strength of the Lagos State government, the parastatals, LAWMA LASTMA, LIRS, etc., and the local governments? Combining numbers of over 200,000 will be a conservative estimation. Did they all vote? And what about their family members?

APC once towered over the political landscape, renowned as one of the largest parties on the continent. What is the size of its membership, particularly in this state?

Reasons Lagos must not fall

Folks, Lagos must not fall. If it falls, blame all the people of Yoruba extraction. Lagos must not fall; if it falls, it spells disaster for the Yoruba race.

Lagos must not fall, for its downfall would mean the annihilation of our cherished culture and identity as Yoruba people. Our traditional monarchs, symbols of our heritage, will be supplanted by alien Igwes if we fail to protect our birthright.

If Lagos falls, our educational system will be restructured; the school curriculum will be changed to reflect another culture with the introduction of another Language in place of Yoruba.

The implications are so numerous, but the antidote is that we must rise and answer this clarion call to save our state.

I implore all Lagosians in the Diaspora, members of the Eko Club International family across the globe, Eko Aketes and Egbe Omo Oduduwa to rally their kin back home. Let them understand the dire consequences of their indifference and encourage them to rise up on Saturday and exercise their right to vote.

Call upon your kith and kin to heed the call of duty on Saturday. With a Lagosian as President-elect, our state cannot afford to languish in the throes of opposition. The attainment of the special status that has so long eluded us for selfish political reasons is a possibility in Bola Tinubus’s administration.

FURTHER READING  

• Elections: Lagos Police To Prosecute Peddlers Of ‘Provocative Content’ On Social Media

• Vote Sanwo-Olu For Continuity; We Can’t Allow Green Horns To Determine Our Destiny – Jide Kosoko

• Tinubu Expresses Gratitude To Nigerians, Global Leaders Over Congratulatory Messages

Lagos must not fall, for if it does, it will cast a collective shadow of shame on all of us.

Should Lagos fall, a complete overhaul of the Lagos State Civil Service shall be implemented, resulting in an overwhelming wave of unemployment as all Directors and Permanent Secretaries are laid off.

Besides, it is unwise to trust such a vast territory as Lagos to Chinedu, a greenhorn without a notable track record in public service or any noteworthy achievements.

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