The Deputy Gubernatorial Candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in Lagos state, Princess Abiodun Oyefusi has accused the opposition of using ethnic war as a tool to destabilize the electorate who are determined to vote them out of office.
She frowned at the recent attacks targeted at some ethnic groups which she described as a political agenda by the opposition and had nothing to do with the indigenous Lagosians.
She said: “It saddens me greatly to hear that Yorubas are fighting anyone because of their ethnic group. This is not a Yoruba attack; this is a political propaganda by the opposition because they know this election is gone for them.
“They know that Lagos is going to be liberated, we are going to be free from 24 years of one-party rule in this state We will try something else, so they will throw anything at this election including the kitchen sink. To say that Rhodes Vivour family are not Yoruba, not Lagosian is like saying that my family are not ruling families in Ikorodu. This is a generation that have been in Lagos for over 400 years, the history has been spread over social media for everyone and photographic evidence with indigenous members. Even the Iya Loja of Lagos has a link with the Vivours’. These are generation of second indigenous judge in Nigeria. It’s beyond belief that we can bring this sort of thing into our politics. It is very sad. There is supposed to be a law against this ethnicity card in politics.
“In the developed world, there is a law against racism. The cosmopolitan Lagos that we live today accommodates everyone. If you are born in Lagos regardless of your ethnic background, if pay your taxes and run your business in Lagos, you are a Lagosian. Is like saying that our children born in UK and US are not British. We have an ethnic Indian as a prime minister if UK, Kemi that contested for prime minister in the same Britain. Let us speak to the issue on ground, the issue affecting the people. Its about building a new Lagos that works for everyone.”
On the possibility that Gbadebo’s emergence could lead to chaos in the state, Princess Oyefusi insists that such will never happen as Gbadebo is Yoruba and an embodiment of the new Lagos. “I don’t believe there is going to be riot because we are going to ensure that we run an all-inclusive government. We are going to bring bylaws that will make the city to function. Laws that protect every citizen of Lagos, I am Yoruba, my father stood up and fought for none indigenes. He gave them land to build businesses, from the Arewa, Igbo and other ethnic group.
“During his reign as king, no one attacked them. Gbadebo is from Eko and I am from a ruling house that built this Lagos. Why will the Lagosians rise up to attack Igbos because Gbadebo went into power. You saw the victory on February 25, do you think that victory was from none indigenes. The majority of that vote came from the Yoruba. The people are tired of 24 years rule of one party that has systematically destroyed all the institution of Lagos.
“How can you build low-income houses and sell to the supposed low-income earners at N60millon. Where do you want them to get such money, we have been denied our right and entitlement. This is a government for the people by the people. We will provide the services, so why will the Yoruba people arise. They will never have any reason to rise against any ethnic group in Lagos.”
She also stated that the only way to douse ethnic tension in the state is by creating laws to protect humanity. “I believe it is about time we bring laws into place that allows us to progress and protect our humanity. Laws that allow us to diminish humanity, those are not laws, but frame war for crime. This is what we are seeing that allows politicians to come every four years when we want to run election, to bring ethnicity to divide the people to win power. We have to bring laws that provides and protects our people from tyranny in the society. It should be controlled by courts, if we don’t have it in place, we will continue to play this card every four years. Lagos is the face of Nigeria. It is the fourth largest economy in Nigeria. It is a cosmopolitan home of Nigeria. People are leaving their various states because they know that when they get here, they can make it. They can contribute to the IGR (Internally Generated Revenue) of Lagos and you want to discriminate them,” she stated.
