By Babafemi Ojudu
A troubling development is unfolding in Lagos State.
Within the aftermath of the current native authorities elections, some newly elected officers have launched into a reckless spree of renaming streets—significantly these bearing Igbo names or named after outstanding non-indigenes. This isn’t coincidental; it’s a calculated political maneuver rooted in resentment, identification politics, and shortsighted management.
The long-simmering rigidity between Yoruba and Igbo communities reached a boiling level throughout the 2023 elections. Peter Obi of the Labour Celebration shocked the political institution by defeating Bola Ahmed Tinubu—Lagos’s long-reigning political determine—within the presidential ballot inside the state. That upset despatched shockwaves by way of the ruling APC, and fears grew {that a} related shock may unfold within the governorship race. What adopted was an aggressive, divisive marketing campaign that shamelessly weaponized ethnicity, worry, and misinformation.
Wild accusations flew: that the Igbo had “purchased up” Lagos, “taken over” the economic system, and have been scheming to grab political energy. These narratives have been harmful—and never totally new. However whereas they didn’t come up in a vacuum, they’ve been irresponsibly amplified.
It’s true that some people inside the Igbo group, in asserting cultural satisfaction, have crossed into political overreach—not simply in Nigeria however overseas. A current instance is an Igbo man in Ghana who bought massive tracts of land and declared himself a king, sparking fears—justified or not—of secessionist ambitions in host communities. Equally, the proliferation of self-styled “Eze Ndi Igbo” (Igbo kings) throughout non-Igbo areas could be perceived as provocative, particularly when seen as parallel authority buildings. Whereas these acts could stem from satisfaction and cultural identification, they will simply be exploited by opportunistic politicians to sow worry and division.
However make no mistake: these remoted actions don’t justify collective punishment or cultural erasure.
Lagos was constructed by many arms—Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Urhobo, Tapa, and extra. Its power lies in its range. To focus on any group—particularly one so deeply embedded within the metropolis’s economic system and social material—isn’t just morally incorrect; it’s politically suicidal.
Somewhat than stoking ethnic division, Lagos leaders ought to give attention to the actual threats to town: youth unemployment, drug dependancy, city decay, visitors congestion, and collapsing infrastructure. These are the problems threatening Lagos’s future—not the names on its road indicators.
What makes this ethnic posturing much more shortsighted is the broader nationwide context. Discontent is rising throughout Nigeria. The economic system is reeling, inflation is crushing households, and insecurity stays rampant. Because the 2027 elections method, the ruling APC is grappling with waning public belief. Alienating a major Southern demographic—the Igbo—whereas Northern political elites specific rising dissatisfaction with Tinubu’s management is a harmful gamble.
Only recently, Northern heavyweight Rabiu Kwankwaso declared that the North feels marginalized underneath Tinubu’s presidency and will not help his re-election. If the North grows distant and the Southeast is antagonized, the place will the help come from? This development dangers isolating the South West politically—and that isolation won’t bode properly for the Yoruba, each at house and within the diaspora.
That is the place President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should rise above the fray. He can not afford to permit partisan loyalty or ethnic sentiment to blind him to the rising hazard of ethnic polarization. Left unchecked, it might spiral into one thing much more sinister—even ethnic cleaning. Nigeria is just too fragile for such a descent.
The President should provoke a technique of reconciliation. He ought to attain out to Igbo leaders—each at house and overseas—to advertise moderation and mutual respect. On-line abuse and reckless insults, equivalent to referring to revered Yoruba figures like Wole Soyinka in derogatory phrases, should stop. I used to be shocked to learn a younger Igbo man referring to Soyinka as a “gbajue professor.” Such incivility wounds the nationwide psyche and deepens distrust.
On the identical time, Tinubu should communicate frankly to Yoruba communities—particularly indigenes of Lagos. Being a number comes with duty, not superiority. You can’t promote your land willingly, spend the proceeds on indulgent life, after which resent those that invested and constructed on that land. You can’t eat your cake and nonetheless have it. If you happen to admire the success of others, emulate their work ethic and group spirit—don’t scapegoat them.
In the meantime, fault traces are cracking elsewhere. Within the North, Muslim-Christian tensions are rising.
The once-cohesive Fulani-Hausa alliance is exhibiting pressure. Within the South, Yoruba-Igbo relations are fraying. Within the Niger Delta, some teams are rejecting the inclusion of Igbos within the Biafra narrative. Even among the many Yoruba, there may be rising resentment towards the concept of “giving all the things to Lagos,” whereas some Lagosians disparage non-indigenous Yoruba (“ara oke”) who’ve discovered success within the metropolis.
Nigeria is a home divided—and until pressing steps are taken, it could not stand for much longer. The disaster in Rivers State has stirred new waves of resentment within the Niger Delta. In all places, identity-based fault traces are deepening.
President Tinubu should not be complacent. If Nigeria fractures, historical past won’t bear in mind his financial insurance policies or political victories. It should keep in mind that the home collapsed underneath his watch.
The duty earlier than him is pressing and non-transferable: name your boys to order, heal previous wounds, unite the nation, and rise above petty politics. This isn’t a job for committees or proxies. Solely daring, visionary management can pull Nigeria again from the brink.
The window is closing. Now’s the time to behave.
•Ojudu is a former senator, journalist, and political scientist.
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