The Lagos State House of Assembly is currently considering measures that could potentially undermine land and property ownership by non-indigenes, particularly Igbos, in the state. This follows a declaration by the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, to “reverse all the reversibles.”
Speaker Obasa emphasized that Lagos is a Yoruba land, contrary to claims that it is a no man’s land. He stated that part of the legislative agenda is to ensure the translation of laws passed by the House into the Yoruba language.
In his acceptance speech as a third-term speaker of the Lagos parliament, Mr Obasa revealed plans by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to pass new land and property laws that would predominantly favor indigenes.
The speaker disclosed the APC-controlled state parliament’s intention to utilize “all legislative instruments” to promote the interests of indigenes over other tribes. He emphasized that laws and resolutions would be introduced in the areas of economy and commerce, property and titles, and any reversible policies would be reversed to protect the interests of indigenes.
The 2023 presidential and gubernatorial elections have created tensions between Igbos and Yoruba politicians in the APC, resulting in clashes between the two groups. The suppression of Igbo voters in Lagos by the APC-led government was condemned by the United States, which imposed fresh visa bans on those responsible. Prior to the governorship election, there were threats made against Igbos who did not vote for the APC by a notorious Lagos thug.
Bayo Onanuga, another prominent figure in the APC, advocated for the outright exclusion of Nigerians of Igbo descent from political power in Lagos, further fueling ethnic controversies surrounding the election.
