A FURIOUS PUSH FOR LAGOS HOUSE

Another disturbing issue that Agbaje has to contend with is the quiet strategy of the PDP that ceded about 30 per cent of the federal and state legislative tickets to the non-indigenes of the states, especially those of Igbo extraction. Ekujimi said the strategy had started producing results in the Igbo-dominated area in the last National Assembly elections in which two Igbo indigenes and one Deltan won the contest.

Balogun said Agbaje jumped at this bait, which he said, had pitted against the entrenched interests in Lagos. He argued even though it was effective for Jonathan’s presidential ambition “to divide Lagos votes, it can never be effective for gubernatorial race because there are other ethnic groups that he must also appeal to. If he gives four commissioner slots to the Igbo, how many will he give to earn the block votes of the Hausa/Fulani?”

On the other hand, the Yoruba socio-political movements, which Agbaje once led was always wary of the unhidden agenda of the Igbo to “conquer” Lagos and campaigning on the strength of Igbo votes will actually set Agbaje’s candidature on collision path with Yoruba people. It is however suicidal to dismiss the importance and voting strength of the Igbos in the state. Apart from this being a positive move in a sense for Agbaje, the needless outburst of the Lagos Oba is a contributory factor in a significant drop in the rating of the APC in the state.

Path to the Mainstream

Now that the APC has won the presidential election, Omotola argued that the victory “presents great opportunity for the people of Lagos State. It means Lagos will now be at the mainstream politics. Lagos can no longer afford to be in opposition, which it has been for the past sixteen years. After being in the opposition for 16 years, opportunity now presents itself for Lagos to join the mainstream politics and move the state forward.”

For him, the benefits of joining the mainstream politics are manifold. He said the state government “can garner support of the federal authorities for its strategic development. Definitely, the state will witness more federal presence in Lagos State unlike the past 16 years. If there will be more federal presence in Lagos, the rail project that the Buhari administration terminated in 1984 and that the state has started again, can now be completed.”

Omotola said the state “will no longer have any reason to over-tax residents in order to generate finance or fund its mega projects ranging from light rail (red line) project to Fourth Mainland Bridge among others. Lagos cannot afford to lose this golden opportunity. Lagos cannot move into opposition again while there is tremendous opportunity to be at the mainstream now that the APC had won the presidential election.”

The state’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeola Ipaye highlighted diverse reasons Lagos State should not recede to the fold of the opposition any longer. First, the big projects that will define Lagos of the near future light rail, Lagos-Badagry road, coastal road, Fourth Mainland Fridge among others-stand to benefit immensely from federal government cooperation and grants. He said it “is too important to toy with!”

Second, the attorney-general cited big disputes, which he said had stalled development projects in the State “can now be speedily resolved with payments due to Lagos State on account of federal road repairs easily settled.” Third, he pointed out that Lagos State would not benefits from federal grants on which the state had been overlooked or shortchanged in the past “can now come to the state with ease and as at when due.”

The fourth reason relates to the need “to grant Lagos State a special status” and lastly, the attorney-general cited the need to consolidate Tinubu’s dream of Lagos, which he said, the incumbent “been actualising in the last eight years.”

The attorney-general, therefore, argued that with an administration of the progressives at the state and federal levels, Lagos State “stands to seriously boost, if not double, its development potentials.”

But Agbaje has dismissed these postulations. He said: “First, I wonder about the soundness of this argument especially after listening to President-elect General Buhari’s acceptance speech, which basically spoke to our better-angels as a people and our sense of community as Nigerians. Where’s the logic in this argument? Is the APC by the nature of this “aligning Lagos to the center” statement, now inferring that General Buhari intends to run a vindictive, partial or insensitive government? Well, that’s not for me to answer and it’s clearly not the focus of this piece.

“What I know, however, is that Lagos has always made progress in spite of being in the opposition. In fact, if my memory of history serves me well, Lagos and the FG have never been in the same party. Our development as a state is as a result of our ingenuity, tenacity and drive as a people. And it’s clear that Lagosians can see through this total botch of logic.

“During the late Pa Awo’s time, the Action Group led Lagos while the NCNC led the FG. In 1979 up until 1983, LK Jakande’s achievements were under UPN even though President Shagari was in NPN. In 1992, Governor Otedola was NRC and SDP led the FG before the June 12 annulment.

“In 1999, Tinubu was AD, FG was PDP. In 2007-2011, His Excellency, Governor Fashola was AC/ACN/APC while the FG led by Yar’Adua was PDP. Under Yar’Adua, the FG released withheld funds to Lagos that had been blocked by his predecessor despite being in opposing parties with Governor Fashola. You see, our edge as a state has always being about our collective ability to stay ahead of the curve with or without favour from the FG.

“That said – it’s important that we put in context what is really happening in Nigeria. The yearning for change that has clearly swept this nation is one that supersedes any one man, political party, tribe or religion. Put simply, it is a statement against the status-quo.

“A clarion call by the people for leaders who will put the peoples’ interests first before self-aggrandizement and petty bickering that seems to have become the norm in politics. To politicians, leaders and people in position of authority including myself, it is a call that we cannot stand against. It’s one that we must all comply with to ensure that we build a better society and a greater Nigeria.”

These postulations notwithstanding, tomorrow is the day and by Sunday the losers and the winners would have aligned appropriately.