I have been reading the excessive bigotry on social media against Igbos and the riposte by Yorubas as well.
All because some politicians in Lagos who feel threatened by the voting numbers of the Igbos in Lagos, have devised scaremongering as a weapon to ensure that Sanwo-Olu, their anointed, wins on Saturday.
And one of such ways to ensure that is to threaten South East citizens in Lagos not to vote for Jimi Agbaje.
I don’t get it.
Jimi Agbaje is Yoruba the last time I checked. He and Sanwo-Olu are Yoruba. Why should some people be afraid that another ethnic group would use its numerical advantage to vote another Yoruba son of the soil into Alausa?
And how dare anyone threaten any tribe living in Lagos over votes in the first place? What gives?
I do not agree that Lagos is a ‘No Man’s Land’. We all came and met settlers here in Lagos and settled down to build our dreams.
But in making Lagos a successful economy and a behemoth in enterprise in the sub-region, other ethnic groups resident in Lagos have as much say in the democratic governance of the state as the self-styled sons of the soil. It is even criminal to stop people from voting for the candidates of their choice in any election.
I’m from Edo. I’m a Bini Man. To some lazy South Westerners who don’t know anything about ethnic identities, I’m Igbo. To some myopic Northerners, my tribe too is Igbo. In fact, if you are Edo, Delta, Ijaw, Kalabari and Efik to these kinds of people, you are lumped as Igbo by some people from the South West and the North.
If you are from South South or from Niger Delta, you are lumped as Igbo.
While one at times finds such misconceptions amusing and let it slide at times, there are times such irridentism have to stop.
In this case of Igbo-baiting by some useless politicians in Lagos, this nonsense has to stop.
Everyone, every tribe…living in Lagos, don’t be cowed into submission by cowards and bullies. Go out on Saturday and vote for whom you want to vote for.
It is your right and you have to exercise it.
Lagos belongs to them, ok. But your votes belong to you.
Go and vote.
You will be fine.