Lagos State: Has Our Democracy Come of Age?
The Presidential and legislative elections have come and gone and will go down in our history as one of the most unprecedented in terms of its peaceful outcome. It has been categorised as the most free and fair since the return of democracy in 1999. Without mincing words, the elections have not only proved doubting Thomases’ wrong about our electoral process but showed that Nigeria can hold its own even amidst its numerous challenges.
No doubt, our electoral process has been strengthened one step further by the altruistic actions and selfless sportsmanship taken by all actors involved. The question therefore, is whether our nascent democracy, just a little at 16, has come of age.
As an ardent follower of both our historical emergence as a nation state and democratic process, I have no doubt that with the success of the last election, we have sufficient reasons to be identified as an exceptional democracy. Ours has been a democracy that survived many daunting challenges and despite the noticeable fault-lines, our “Nigerianness” can never be compromised.
More often than not, it is imperative to take caution in trying to admit that Nigeria’s democracy has come of age. Doubts still pervades in some parts of the country about the outcome of the election, even when it is clear to malcontents that it was won square and fair. Despite this, one must be sincere enough, without being too overtly patriotic, to state that our democracy is now more than ever strengthened. The reason for this rather brazen position cannot be far-fetched, if the recent legislative election held in Lagos State is anything to go by.
Lagos as we know it has always been a hotbed of diverse human activities. It is a melting pot of some sort for so many people looking for a place to work, relax, or reside. For whatever reasons, Lagos has become a home for more than half of all Nigeria’s ethnic groups such that, her cosmopolitan nature today cannot be compared to any part of Nigeria and most parts of the world. For the fact that Lagos provides anyone at all with opportunities to live and enjoy the ‘Lagos Dream’, many have found it as a comfort zone and home to make money. Apart from other noticeable ethnic groupings in Nigeria, the Igbo have come to form a sizeable population in Lagos. As we speak, the Igbo are about the most populated non-Yoruba group domiciled in Lagos. Just like the Sabo communities of Northern extraction noticeable in parts of Lagos, the Igbo, unlike the Sabo areas, could be found everywhere. In fact, the dominance of the Igbo, typical as their entrepreneurial spirit entails, portends greater economic propects for Lagos and Nigeria as a whole.
It is on record that Lagos accommodates the meek and weak, even the strong and wrong and would never allow ethnic sentiments get the better part of its developmental process.
Apart from being an economic force, the Igbo today have become a very strong political factor in Lagos. At a time when a section of the country some time ago lampooned and criticised the state government for deporting some people, the enabling environment to be politically relevant given most importantly to the Igbo today should be seen as a kind gesture by the government in embracing all irrespective of where we come from. It is not every day one sees a Yoruba or Hausa appointed a Commissioner in states like Cross River or Delta or an Igbo as Chairman of an agency in Katsina, Taraba, Ekiti or Bayelsa.
However, nobody would have thought it possible for a non-Yoruba residing in Lagos to contest elections and win. It is not that some of them do not come out to vie for elective positions but chances of winning such positions have always remained very slim. It is quite surprising therefore; to discover a number of non-Yoruba living vying and in turn winning legislative posts in the just concluded federal legislative election. In Amuwo Odofin local government for example, one Mr Oghene Egboh, a Delta state indigene defeated Ganiyu Olukolu a Yoruba. Also in Ajeromi/Ifelodun, Mrs Rita an Easterner defeated Taiwo Adenekan another Yoruba while in Oshodi/Isolo federal constituency 2, Mr Tony Nwoolu defeated the incumbent, Mr Akeem Munir. A major factor has been attributed to the victory of these individuals in the election, chief of which is the dominance of Igbo residents in these constituencies who voted massively not necessarily for these candidates but because of their strong affinity for the PDP.
This is therefore, a huge lesson for us all as a people to learn from. Nigeria belongs to us all and so, irrespective of differences in tongue and tribe. We must begin to see the positives of togetherness and brotherhood and understand that every Nigerian, no matter where he resides, is part of the Nigerian project.
