Afrigather 
Forward of the March 11 governorship and state Home of Meeting election, Akin Osuntokun, Director Basic (DG ), of the Obi-Datti Presidential Marketing campaign has charged Labour Celebration supporters on vigilance, including that politics has gone past stoking ethnic strife.
Osuntokun, reacting to the contrived ethnic stress in Lagos State, following the victory of the LP Presidential candidate, Peter Obi within the February 25 election, stated the outcome confirmed that extra Yorubas voted for the candidate in Lagos, opposite to ongoing speculations.
The LP Chieftain famous that Obi’s victory set some political events on a panic mode, in Lagos.
“The worry issue being presently stoked and weaponised is that the Igbos would take over Lagos if Labour Celebration wins Saturday’s Governorship and State Meeting elections,” he stated.
“Of their desperation, they’re even shamelessly questioning the ‘Yoruba-ness’ of our candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, (GRV) even though he’s from among the finest identified households in Lagos whose ancestral tree will be traced to over 200 years.
“This begs the query of how precisely this taking up of Lagos by the Igbos would happen. Would the Igbos bodily carry Lagos and switch the town and its infrastructures to the South-eastern a part of the nation?
“Will the Igbos put weapons on the heads of the Yorubas in Lagos and ask them to handover their lands to them as a result of Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour is the Governor? Will Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour as Governor denounce his father, grandfather and his total Vivour ancestry and discover one other father and grandfather from Igboland if he wins?”
Osuntokun recommended these stoking ethnic strife in Lagos that the world has moved past primitive communalism.
He added: “These determined politicians have performed up the altering demographics arising from the cosmopolitan nature of Lagos and falsely concluded that the massive inhabitants of the Igbo was accountable for the APC shedding the state on the February 25 2023 elections.
“The reality is that extra Yorubas than Igbos voted for our presidential candidate on that day as a result of they need good governance and for Lagos to be free of the stranglehold of a felony syndicate.
“In our more and more globalized world, it’s tough to search out pristine communities or primitive communal societies by which everybody locally is said by blood.
“Given the standing of Lagos because the business capital of the nation and its historical past as a former political and administrative capital, it’s naturally a magnet for folks and companies on the lookout for greener pastures. Allow us to keep in mind that every one the state capitals within the nation – from Kano to Abeokuta to Lagos and Jalingo – are likely to have a excessive proportion of non-indigenes relative to the unique house owners of the place as a result of folks transfer to areas of higher financial benefits.
“As folks and companies migrate, additionally they turn into a part of their new societies.”
He famous that a number of high politicians in the UK, together with the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan and the Secretary of State for Enterprise, Vitality and Industrial Technique, Olukemi Olufunto “Kemi” Badenoch are all kids or grandchildren of immigrants.
“The story shouldn’t be completely different in the USA the place a number of Nigerians are in President Biden’s cupboard and the Vice President, Kamala Harris, has Asian ancestry,” he stated.
“Remarkably, these fanning the embers of ethnic discord in Lagos – simply to keep away from their occasion being humiliated a second time – are themselves non indigenes of Lagos.”
Osuntokun who additionally famous that non- indigenes contribute immensely to improvement, questioned what Lagos can be with out the Igbos and different non-indigenes.
“Internationally, the function of immigrants within the improvement of the society is now being more and more acknowledged regardless of the anti-immigration rhetoric of right-wing politicians.
He additionally cited that case of the USA, the place greater than half of essentially the most helpful startup firms had been based by immigrants, in line with figures by the Nationwide Basis for American Coverage.
“In accordance with their findings, immigrants have began greater than half (319 of 582, or 55%) of America’s startup firms valued at $1 billion or extra. The analysis additionally discovered that just about two-thirds (64%) of U.S. billion-dollar firms (unicorns) had been based or cofounded by immigrants or the youngsters of immigrants.
“Equally, in the UK, analysis exhibits that of the seven unicorns within the UK’s 100 quickest rising firms, 5 have no less than one foreign- born co-founder. The determined politicians taking part in up the politics of hate won’t ever inform you of the employment the profiled ethnic teams present, the companies and firms they arrange and the taxes they pay – all of which contribute to creating Lagos what it’s at present.
He due to this fact urged the Labour Celebration members to “eschew politics of hatred and violence and have a good time our variety”
“The Obi-Datti Presidential Marketing campaign Council implores politicians selling and hoping to revenue from weaponizing ethnic hatred in Lagos State to desist as a result of the world has moved past their primitive antics. The world is altering quick. We should be taught to stay in peace and have a good time our variety.
“For members of our occasion, the Labour Celebration, and the Obidient household, we urge that you just stay calm and peaceable –even within the face of provocation. Being self-restrained and calm amid provocation shouldn’t be cowardice or naivety however proof of upper emotional intelligence.
“We should always not play into the fingers of these in panic mode who wish to promote violence in order that elections would turn into manipulable and fulfil their need of claiming victory via the again door”.
