‘Igbo Man Can be Lagos Governor,’ Atiku's Aide Declares, Gives Reason as Video Trends
- Nigeria’s commercial capital, Lagos, had been controversially described as a no-man’s land
- Legit.ng reports that Lagos is a region predominantly inhabited by people of the Yoruba ethnic group
- In a video interview seen by Legit.ng, Atiku Abubakar's aide, 'Demola Olarewaju, explained that it is not impossible for an Igbo man to be governor in Lagos
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Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering politics, elections, and governance in Nigeria.
FCT, Abuja - 'Demola Olarewaju, special assistant, digital media strategy to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has said an Igbo man can be the governor of Lagos state.
The Igbo (or Ibo) people are a major ethnic group in Nigeria. Their primary origin is found in modern-day Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo states, while others can be found in the Niger Delta and along the Cross River.
Source: Twitter
'Igbo can govern Lagos'
Olarewaju stated this in a recent interview on MIC ON PODCAST, monitored by Legit.ng.
According to him, it is not impossible for a person of Igbo extraction to become governor of Lagos one day because the state is “undergoing an evolution now.”
He said:
“Lagos is for the enterprising; Lagos is for the commercial. Lagos has indigenous people.
“What gives Lagos that brand is the fact that Lagos is a commercial state.”
Ask if a non-indigene can govern Lagos, he replied:
“I honestly don’t have a problem with a Chukwudi running Lagos state as long as certain things are also put in place to protect the interest of the indigenous people of Lagos state.
“Lagos, historically, is a Yoruba land. But Lagos, over the years, has gone through several revolutions. Lagos is also undergoing an evolution now. The rights of the indigenous people of Lagos will always be enshrined. But we must also understand that Lagos no longer belongs to Lagosians.”
A snippet of the interview can be watched below:
Commissioner debunks 'no man's land
Meanwhile, Gbenga Omotoso, the Lagos state commissioner for information and strategy, refuted claims suggesting that Lagos is a no-man’s land.
Speaking recently at an event organised by the Lagos State Records and Archives Bureau (LASRAB), Omotoso said that only anarchists claim Lagos is a no-man’s land.
Source: Twitter
Guardian, in a recent report, quoted Omotoso as saying:
“The second challenge is what I call the question of people who claim that Lagos is a no-man’s land. There is no empirical fact to support this bogus and vacuous claim, nor can it be validated through any available record.
“So the battle in my own view is between archivists and those who lay claim to this notion of no man’s land, who are in my own view anarchists.”
Furthermore, Omotoso noted that Lagos needs to preserve and protect its heritage, as according to him, the battle for the preservation of the state’s heritage can be won through technology and ideology.
He said:
“We are talking about Lagos here, all the beautiful buildings that we have, all the things that our Kabiesis and royal fathers are preserving for us, none is showing here.”
Read more on Igbos in Nigeria:
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Tinubu's aide declares "Lagos no-man’s land
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that President Bola Tinubu’s special adviser on policy communication, Daniel Bwala, described Lagos state as both a “no-man’s land” and the pride of Nigeria’s economy.
Bwala maintained that the heavy concentration of federal projects in Lagos reflects investment in the nation’s commercial hub rather than favouritism.
Source: Legit.ng
