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“But the most important thing to note for the peace and development of the country, using Lagos as a reference is that we remain one big Nigeria, divided into fragments where love, tolerance and respect must reign for the country to be whole. In the South-West, for example, we have millions of Easterners and Northerners residing and earning in the region. For years, this has been, and it is noticed that the conglomeration of every tribe residing in a region has, by a long shot, make that region what it is politically, economically and socially. We need everyone to survive, but we should never, in the race for survival, neglect the values of respect towards each other. The regions are unambiguous and outlined to identify the fragments that make up the whole called Nigeria. The Northern region consists of the Hausas, Fulanis and the Nupe; the East is that of the Igbos. The South contains the Esan, Ibibio, Itsekiri, Urhobo, Ogoni and so on. TheWest is that of the Yorubas. While national integration is encouraged to foster national bond and expedite national development across the country, we should not lose our values of respect for the land settled in. Topics like who own what land, who should be in what land, should never find their way into national discourse. Everyone is a compatriot, and everyone matters. But everyone must respect the tribes and the lands allotted to them while everyone works together for the better of that same land.”
On Wednesday, the heat in the polity took a big drain down, whether by design or not. But what is certain was that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s decision to shift the gubernatorial and state house of assembly elections by a week palpably deescalated the tension that was rapidly engulfing the nation – especially in the South-West.
By effect, the presidential and house of representative elections and the intrigues that characterized its outcome implicitly set us up for a dramatic gubernatorial elections whose build-up foretells.
States like Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Delta, Rivers and Imo are some of the states where the political stakes are high, and upsets of the sitting government highly possible on the basis of the outcome of the presidential elections.
Lagos, most importantly, is considered to be the stronghold of the ruling All Progressives Congress which produced the president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. But the state was not among the thirteen states Tinubu won to have emerged as the president-elect. The opposition, Labour Party shockingly defeated Tinubu in a state he once governed for eight years and a state that has forever being ruled by Tinubu’s party. The feelers among the young population who constituted the larger percentage of the voters turnout in Lagos during the presidential election is that they are more determined and motivated to come out en-masse and repeat same feat during the gubernatorial elections. This determination has since given meteoric rise to the governorship candidate of Labour Party, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour who has been everywhere both in the conventional and new media shouldering hopes of these young population that a change of government in Lagos is possible.
The incumbency, on the other hand, has also not been slack in canvassing for a reelection into office, reeling out all its achievements in the last four years as a basis to convince Lagosians of continuity in government.
Then, in between, surfaced the roots of the Labour Party’s candidate, GRV, who is said to have Eastern blood ties, with some sections of Lagosians claiming that a person of such make is unfit to rule Lagos – a Yoruba state. In reaction, proponents of GRV quipped that Lagos is no man’s land because of its cosmopolitan nature. Therein sparked the spat on ethnic ownership of Lagos with the Yorubas claiming that the Igbos are tenants and the Igbos claiming the Yorubas don’t own Lagos.
Eventually, the genuine roots of GRV was traced and the Labour Party gubernatorial candidate was confirmed to be a Lagosian through and through. That did smother the ethnic spat but in pocket of spaces, that debate of ‘who owns Lagos’ still lingers.
In Oyo, it is a different ball game with reports that Seyi Makinde, an aggrieved member of the PDP contributed to the victory of Tinubu in the state. The question then is: with the APC having polled the highest number of votes in the presidential election, will they also poll the highest number of votes to unseat Makinde?
In this tempestuous boat is not only Makinde but Nyesom Wike of Rivers state also stares at similar fate, and some will say that they are being dealt the same hand they dealt others considering their decision to work against their own party in the presidential election.
From the political snippets from these states, it offers an overview of the potential major political upsets that is likely to go down in some states. How that pans out, in a matter of days, we shall find out.
But the most important thing to note for the peace and development of the country, using Lagos as a reference is that we remain one big Nigeria, divided into fragments where love, tolerance and respect must reign for the country to be whole. In the South-West, for example, we have millions of Easterners and Northerners residing and earning in the region. For years, this has been, and it is noticed that the conglomeration of every tribe residing in a region has, by a long shot, make that region what it is politically, economically and socially. We need everyone to survive, but we should never, in the race for survival, neglect the values of respect towards each other. The regions are unambiguous and outlined to identify the fragments that make up the whole called Nigeria. The Northern region consists of the Hausas, Fulanis and the Nupe; the East is that of the Igbos. The South contains the Esan, Ibibio, Itsekiri, Urhobo, Ogoni and so on. TheWest is that of the Yorubas. While national integration is encouraged to foster national bond and expedite national development across the country, we should not lose our values of respect for the land settled in.
Topics like who own what land, who should be in what land, should never find their way into national discourse. Everyone is a compatriot, and everyone matters. But everyone must respect the tribes and the lands allotted to them while everyone works together for the better of that same land.
Important as well it is reiterated that as we step into the week leading to the election, all elements of electoral violence should be shunned to see that we have a peaceful, fair and credible poll for better states in the country. The last election saw isolated reports of intimidation, coercion, threats and assaults of voters. We should aim to rectify those shortcomings in the forthcoming election and make every effort for democracy to count.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12: Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work.
Professor Ofonime Emmanuel Bassey is a Security, Peace and Conflict Resolution coach with decades of experience in the practice and promotion of Law Enforcement, Peace and Security through the Nigeria Police and the United Nations.
He is a professor in Leadership, Peace and Conflict Resolution, a certified United Nation’s Trainer, and currently the Director of ICOF Institute of Leadership, Peace and Conflict Resolution in Africa.
Prof. Bassey has served and interacted at the top-level management of the Nigeria Police as well as internationally as a United Nation’s Monitor/Mentor in Kosovo, Europe.
With his marks well-established in Peace Leadership both in Nigeria and Africa, he is currently the President, NISSI Safety Management Institute: An Institute of Peace Leadership.
To his many humanitarian acts, he currently spearheads a campaign tagged “The Next Peace Leaders” billed to run from 2022-2023 with a target of training 37,000 young peace leaders.
For peace and security tips, consultations and trainings, reach him via:
Facebook: Dr. O.E Bassey
LinkedIn: Dr. O.E Bassey
Twitter: Dr. O.E Bassey
WhatsApp: +2347065828892
Mail: EmmanuelBassey@gmail.com
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