Retired Major General Tajudeen Olanrewaju, former Minister of Communications, has revealed that plans are in progress to prevent non-Lagosians from holding elected positions in the 2027 election.
Olanrewaju, who is the Alternate Chairman of De Renaissance Patriots Foundation, in Ikorodu, Lagos State, lamented that existing political parties in the state deny indigenes of the state the opportunity to fill important political posts during elections.
Olanrewaju said: “The question that needs to be answered lies in who stands for the political interest of the indigenes in the affairs of government. Who also determines who qualifies to represent Lagos State in the National and State Assemblies, and also who could fill appointment quotas, from within and outside the state? Some might say that the answer lies within the realms of the Constitution. This does not represent a good reason or explain why for 25 years, Lagos State has remained the only state in the whole of the federation since the beginning of the Fourth Republic in 1999 that has not been governed by an indigene with the right of blood except once.
“The existing political parties take the liberty to always deny the indigenes of the state to fill the most important political posts during elections and running of government. The only argument that they usually pose, which is false, is that the indigenous population is not in our favour. There is no empirical data to prove this issue.
“Lagos State, by its economic status and level of development, offers more comparative advantage than other states of the federation. That is the reason why the struggle for control of Lagos State resources becomes fierce and unrelenting. Does this fallacy make the position of indigenes to govern the state untenable? De Renaissance Patriots Foundation thinks that there is a conspiracy to capture the state permanently by the ruling elite, most of whom are resident non-indigenes. It thus brings us to the main point of why the political parties prefer residents who are non-indigenes to be at the helm of affairs using them as pliable tools to do the wish of the ruling government.
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“So, it becomes a lot easier to explain the situation whereby about 60% of our representations at the National and State Assemblies, Local Government Areas and Councillors are all non-indigenes? This is where we, as De Renaissance Patriots of Lagos State, believe that the political administration relegates the indigenes to the back seats. It seems that for these reasons, every four years of political administration in Lagos State, the indigenes get closer and closer to critical moments in making certain decisions about how they want to rule themselves.
“Those who hide under the constitutional provision of freedom of movement, etc, and residency are clever by half because they have political choices as first citizens of their states. This is an abuse of the Constitution. It is only in Lagos State that you could find positions, appointments and nominations etc, which ought to be reserved for indigenes given to those who claimed double states of origin simply because they live in Lagos State.
“The fundamental defects in this government’s political dispensation, for example, in Lagos State and, in particular, her lack of human spirit towards the Lagos State indigenes, had resulted in disillusionment and agitations for political entitlements. Failures of national and state policies have contributed to the instabilities in the oil-rich Delta region, insurgency in the North East, banditry and kidnapping in many states of the federation. Considering our political, economic, historical and social concerns in Lagos State, including our rights to ancestral land and interaction that have lasted for two centuries, we cannot but be careful not to be subjected to genocide by migration by settlers.
“The objective of resident non-indigenes is to capture Lagos State, politically and deny the indigenous people their constitutional rights and privileges. How do you explain the situations when the holders of six important political offices, most often, are held by non-indigenes? The ruling elite and leadership in Lagos State government, by holding on to the most important political positions, control the political administration and the state’s resources and use the state to climb the political ladders at the expense of the indigenes. Important decisions, political selection and constitutional entitlements are allocated on this basis of inequality and self-interests. We can give examples of non-indigenes, who proudly hold double indigeneship and use Lagos State as stepping stones. How do they achieve it? They achieve it through false declaration because they are never confirmed to be known by families they claimed to come from in Lagos State.
“It is a betrayal, wrongful representation and lack of respect for Lagos State indigenes when the contesting parties nominate candidates who have two states of origin for the state.
“Our state should do everything possible to ensure that indigenes are not overwhelmed by the daily movement of people who decide to settle in our midst. The ruling elite must not try to put a yoke of slavery on the indigenes because of the streaming migration of settlers on the land.
“The political parties must change their attitude and choose their candidates from the indigenous people of the state. I advise that the indigenes must fight to take back their state.
“The residency factor has been solely used as a wedge and instrument of divide and rule to achieve control of our political rights. It is always a willing tool of political oppression that has kept indigenous people away from ruling the state. At the end of this tenure in 2027, it will be 19 years that Lagos State has remained a political orphan.
“We strongly believe that the ambiguity surrounding the issues of indigeneship should be considered in our memoranda that we submitted to the Constitution Review Committee.”
In addition, he said: “Indigenes across the parties must stand up and contest for any elective position from the governorship, Senate, House of Representatives, State Assembly, LGAs and Councillorship; and also vie for appointments into offices at state and federal levels. They should not be intimidated and must push back against political bullies. The indigenes from the five divisions must insist on their top party leaders that only indigenes must be nominated as their Governorship and Deputy Governorship candidates, Speaker, Assembly members, Senate and members of the House of Representatives.
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