Peter Okoye, PBA Journalism MenteeLabour party (LP) has cautioned politicians in Lagos State against fanning embers of ethnic discord as the governorship and State Assembly elections are around the corner.
Director-General of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council, Akin Osuntokun, stated that ethnic tension has been rising in Lagos after Labour Party won the presidential election in the state on 25th February 2023.
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The Labour Party Director-General wondered why some desperate politicians would think that Igbos will take over Lagos State if Labour Party wins the upcoming governorship election in the state. He also frowned at those questioning the origin of the LP governorship candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour.
“In Lagos, the fear factor being currently stoked and weaponized is that the Igbos would take over Lagos if Labour Party wins Saturday’s Governorship and State Assembly elections. In their desperation, they are even shamelessly questioning the ‘Yoruba-ness’ of our candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, ( GRV) even though he is from one of the best-known families in Lagos whose ancestral tree can be traced to over 200 years.
“This begs the question of how exactly this taking over of Lagos by the Igbos would occur. Would the Igbos physically carry Lagos and transfer the city and its infrastructure to the Southeastern part of the country? Will the Igbos put guns on the heads of the Yorubas in Lagos and ask them to hand over their lands to them because Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour is the Governor?
“Will Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour as Governor denounce his father, grandfather and his entire Vivour ancestry and find another father and grandfather from Igboland if he wins?”, Osuntokun queried in a statement he personally signed and released to newsmen.
He warned that the time of playing primitive politics is over and reminded the politicians that Yorubas voted more for LP than Igbo in the presidential election because of their desire to break up from the stranglehold of a “criminal syndicate” in the state.
Osuntokun maintained that Lagos, as the commercial capital of the country and its history as a former political and administrative capital of Nigeria, naturally attracted people and businesses looking for greener pastures just like every other state capital in the country – from Kano to Abeokuta to Lagos and Jalingo – tend to have a high proportion of non-indigenes relative to the original owners of the place because of their desire to move to areas with better economic advantages.
He added that people migrate as well with their businesses and cited the cases of some European countries like the UK and the USA, where some migrants have formed the top part of their governments, and with good business establishments. He then wondered why those who are not the indigenous people of Lagos will determine those not to be allowed to stay in the state.
“As people and businesses migrate, they also become part of their new societies. This is why in the United Kingdom today has several top politicians including the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan and the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Olukemi Olufunto “Kemi” Badenoch are all children or grandchildren of immigrants.
“The story is not different in the United States where several Nigerians are in President Biden’s cabinet and the Vice President, Kamala Harris, has Asian ancestry. Remarkably, those fanning the embers of ethnic discord in Lagos – just to avoid their party being humiliated a second time – are themselves non-indigenes of Lagos”, he added.
The LP presidential campaign DG maintained that non-indigenes contribute to the development of their host communities but the desperate politicians playing up the politics of hate will never tell the indigenes about the employment opportunities the profiled ethnic groups provide, the businesses and companies they set up and the taxes they pay – all of which contributed to making Lagos what it is today.
He finally advised all the desperate politicians promoting and hoping to benefit from causing ethnic hatred in Lagos State to rethink and shun politics of hatred and violence and live in peace and celebrate their diversity.
He also urged members of the Labour Party, and the Obidient family to remain calm and peaceful, even in the face of provocation as they go about casting their votes for the party’s candidates on the 18th March governorship and State Assembly elections.
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