Femi Fani-Kayode The consequences of the results of both the presidential and governorship elections in Lagos State are still gaining momentum in the Nigeria political space. It could be recalled that against expectation, the Labour Party won the presidential election in the state which is the home state of the presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The outcome of the presidential election in Lagos State has tapped the APC members in the state awake and the decision to checkmate every means that might have been used by the Labour Party to win the state.
This paid off during the governorship election with the ruling party in the state, APC, winning the governorship seat by a wide margin.
Nevertheless, one of the notorious political factors that determined the outcomes of the two elections in the state was "Ethnic politics". It was played, alongside religious politics, by the Labour Party during the presidential election. However, the tactics were checkmated by the APC during the governorship poll in the state.
The Igbo's ethnic politics in Lagos seemed to have invited furious reactions from the majority of Yorubas reading in Lagos and this, among other factors, might have stimulated the former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode to write an epistle where he sent a strong warning to the Igbos in Lagos, regarding politics, norms, and culture of the state.
Femi Fani-Kayode wrote:
"Don't stay in Lagos, and benefit from the leadership, infrastructure, and economy Lagosians built over time, yet carry resentment towards them. You threaten violence and de-market Lagos on social media. You have options. Behave or relocate!" -@renoomokri.
"Let me open this short contribution by saying that I completely agree with the views expressed above by Pastor Reno Omokri.
"Let us hope that those he is attempting to offer such wise counsel appreciate & accept it before it is too late.
"I am constrained to go further by saying that I also share the views of my dear friend, brother & colleague, Omo Oba Bayo Onanuga, who reflected the views and thoughts of millions of our fellow Yorubas when he expressed deep and legitimate concerns about the attempt by the Ibo community in Lagos to take over our land and claim it as theirs.
"This is something that they themselves would never tolerate members of any other ethnic nationality to attempt to do in the east and neither would any of us try it.
"The truth is that if you insist on living in someone else's land or territory you must respect them. And as they say, respect begets respect.
"If you must live amongst us kindly refrain from poking your fingers into our eyes simply because we gave you the space & afforded you the opportunities that you have refused to offer us in the east.
"We do this because we are a decent, civilized, kind-hearted, peace-loving, and just people who believe strongly in the ethos of charity, the plurality of community, efficacy of racial and religious harmony, peaceful coexistence & full & unfettered integration.
"That does NOT however mean that we are fools. Our history proves that we are slow to anger but irresistible in battle. It is not wise to provoke us or raise our sleeping swords.
"Being too kind, accommodating & charitable has its price and it appears that we the Yoruba may have learned this the hard way.
"Opening up your home to a stranger & being your brother's keeper is one thing but giving him your head & all that is dear to you on a platter of gold is quite another.
"The truth is that the Ibo in Lagos is no longer welcome by the people of Lagos. And unless they change their attitude quickly & drastically it may well be better for them to go home.
"As a consequence of recent events & the outrageous & insulting "Lagos is a no man's land" battle cry & mantra which many Ibos in Lagos espouse & constantly bellow & mouth, many of our people believe that Alaba Int. Market, Computer Village, Trade Fair & other places that they have occupied & taken over should be evacuated & vacated & converted to schools, deep sea ports, housing estates & amusement parks.
"That is the level of anger & view of millions of our people today & we ignore those views at our peril.
"They also believe that we should act fast & make the necessary changes in our attitude to non-Yoruba settlers and aliens and reflect on our propensity for being too "woke" & too liberal in our dealings with them.
"This view was ably reflected by @adeosunm when he tweeted the following a day after the Governorship election in Lagos. He wrote, Congrats on putting an end to the issue of real ownership of Lagos. Going forward, let there be a review of the following: Land ownership and rent law. Elective & appointive policy. The ethnic concentration of markets. Limits to liberalization culture. The teaching of Yoruba history. Be wary of usurpers!"
"Points taken & forceful, compelling & lucid they are too.
"In his own contribution, @LegendaryJoe again reflected the mood when he tweeted the following: We voted in Lagos today not along political lines but along the lines of heritage. We voted for our pride. We made a statement that our liberal nature should never be abused. What we won't attempt in yours, do not force on us. We voted to retain Lagos".
"These are insightful and incisive contributions & they must be taken seriously.
"They can best be described as wake-up calls and the propositions and counsel that are being suggested and offered must be considered by all the relevant stakeholders in Yorubaland generally and Lagos particularly before it is too late.
"Clearly thanks to the insulting ways and disrespectful tone, words, and attitude of those that came from the east to settle amongst us yet covet our land and seek to destroy everything we value and stand for, Yoruba nationalism has come alive again.
"Our gullible liberalism and naive wokeism has resulted in a dangerous, hard-line, and pronounced backlash which is fuelled by anger and which cannot be easily managed and contained.
"Our people are now counting the cost of our innocent yet disastrous open door policy and disposition as a direct consequence of the excesses and provocative actions of the Ibos in Lagos.
"And what is that cost?
"If you really want to know let's go back in time a little.
"Permit me to take you on a walk down history lane.
"When Nnamdi Azikiwe, the NCNC, and the Igbo State Union tried to take over Yoruba land in the 1952 Western Regional elections he lost to Obafemi Awolowo and the Action Group by a very narrow margin.
"I believe it was by two seats in Parliament and Action Group was saved from a Zik victory only because they went into an alliance with the Ibadan Peoples Party which gave them a majority of two in Parliament! That is how close it was.
"Had it not been for that Zik, an Igbo man would have been elected as the first Premier of the old Western Region and the Yoruba would have eventually lost EVERYTHING including their language, culture, heritage, land, and values.
"After his defeat, Zik packed his bags and said the following famous words: "I shall return to the east from whence I came".
"Thereafter he went back to the old Eastern Region to be elected Premier.
"71 years later the story appears to have repeated itself.
"The Ibo, this time led by one Peter Obi, a shady and manipulative trader who was fuelled, strengthened, and emboldened by his relative success and gains during the presidential election in the state two weeks earlier, tried to forcefully take over Lagos in the 2023 Governorship election by intimidation, threats, and propaganda and by fielding a young and impressionable man by the name of Chinedu Rhodes-Vivour who neither speaks nor understands Yoruba, whose family derives from Sierra Leonne and Opobo in Rivers state, who has strong sympathy for IPOB, who was part of those protestors that wreaked havoc and set Lagos on fire during the Endsars riots and who, like his misguided, violent and aggressive supporters, claimed that Lagos is a "no man's land" as his candidate.
"Thankfully they failed and the young man was roundly defeated by Jide Sanwo-Olu, a young, diligent, hardworking, civilized, decent, and focused administrator and bona fide Yorubaman.
"It is now time for Peter, Chinedu, and all their Obidient supporters to follow Zik's noble example, tread the path of honor, and either respect us and live with us in love and peace or go back to the east "from whence they came".
"They will do far better there.
"We in the South West must do a lot of soul-searching and educate the liberals in our midst about the dangers of being too kind, too charitable, and too accommodating to the alien land grabbers and usurpers that have infiltrated our territory.
"We can show them charity, love, and kindness but this must never be at the expense of our values, identity, dignity, culture, or heritage.
"We must endeavor to ensure that history does not repeat itself again, that this terrible cycle of our Ibo brothers repaying our good with ingratitude and subterfuge stops, and that they never have the temerity and effort to claim that Lagos, or indeed any other part of Yorubaland, is theirs again.
Category: Forum
Tag: Igbo Femi FaniKayode Politics Lagos
Written by Ejiro Hassan (ejiro)
Published 3/21/2023 8:17:20 AM