Samuel Marshall
Prominent Nigerians have voiced their opposition to the controversial Igbos-Must-Leave-Lagos campaign, which is set to be translated into protests between the 20th and 30th of August 2024. Some of the voices are urging the Federal Government to take immediate action to address the campaign and apprehend those responsible. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who joined his voice to the call, said, “Those saying Igbo must go from Lagos will be the ones to leave”. He stated this through his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, while receiving the leadership of Ndigbo Amaka Progressive Market Association, an umbrella body of major markets in Lagos State at the boardroom of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Also, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, along with his Labour Party (LP) counterpart, Peter Obi, as well as the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organization Afenifere, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, a group that represents the interests of all Igbo, and the representatives of the Lagos Indigenes, have expressed their strong concern calling for the prosecution of individuals behind the campaign.
In a recent broadcast to anti-hunger protesters, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu hinted at the Igbo-Must-Leave-Lagos campaigners by stating: “Those who have taken advantage of this situation to threaten any section of the country should be warned: The law will catch up with you. Ethnic bigotry and threats have no place in the Nigeria we are trying to build.”
The Igbos-Must-Leave-Lagos campaign, led by various individuals and groups, to expel Igbos from Lagos asserts that the Igbo community is gaining control of the city and overshadowing its economy to the detriment of the indigenous Yoruba population. Advocates of this movement believe that the Igbo people should return to their homeland in the southeast of Nigeria and allow the Yoruba people to thrive in Lagos.
After the 2023 presidential elections, Bayo Onanuga, who was the director of media and publicity of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, allegedly issued a warning, stating: “Let 2023 be the last time of Igbo interference in Lagos politics. Let there be no repeat in 2027. Lagos is like Anambra, Imo, or any Nigerian State. It is not No Man’s Land, not Federal Capital Territory. It is Yoruba land. Mind your business”.
At the 2023 presidential election, many were taken aback by the victory of Mr Peter Obi in Lagos a place considered the stronghold of Mr Bola Tinubu. The shocker served as a wake-up call to the campaign which has been smouldering ever since.
A group known as LagosPedia reportedly issued a 30-day ultimatum to the Igbo community to depart from Lagos and the entire South-West region along with their businesses. The group is reported to have announced a planned protest, stating, “Lagosians and every Southwest stakeholder should prepare for the massive protest of #IgboMustGo on the 20th –30th of August. They have one month from now to leave and relocate their business from all South-West States. We urge all Yorubas living in the South-East to return home”.
On the other hand, the prominent figures and organizations that have vehemently opposed the campaign, are advocating for unity and coexistence among the different ethnic groups in Lagos. These argue that the campaign is divisive, discriminatory, and goes against the Nigerian constitution and the principles of equality and diversity in a multicultural city like Lagos.
Furthermore, many believe that the campaign has had negative implications for the economy of Lagos, as the city relies heavily on the contributions of the Igbo community to its business sector. Many businesses have suffered losses and setbacks as a result of the campaign, leading to a decline in investor confidence and a loss of revenue for the city.
The Igbo people, known for their entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen, have established thriving businesses in Lagos, leading to competition and resentment from other ethnic groups who feel marginalized and excluded from economic opportunities in the city.***
