The Present Administration is Divisive

One of the campaign themes of Peter Obi and the Labour Party presidential venture was the unification of Nigeria, promising to build a country where every citizen would have the confidence to say, "this is my motherland," regardless of the part of the country they reside in.

This is an essential concept in a country deeply divided along ethnic, tribal, and religious lines, where tribalism plays a significant role in sustaining the prevalent corruption culture. Only God and Peter Obi know if he would have fulfilled his promises had he been sworn in as the president on May 29th. However, there are strong indications that the present administration not only continues the divisiveness of the immediate past but surpasses it by a wide margin.

Starting from the beginning, there was the Muslim-Muslim ticket, which openly divides along religious lines, explicitly stating that the government under Tinubu has no regard or recognition for Christians or people of other religions. Additionally, there was Nasir El-Rufai's public address where he boasted about his intention for Muslims only to hold power in his state as both governors and deputy governors for over 20 years. The speech leaned towards using any means necessary, including extreme violence, to achieve that goal.

Tinubu, upon assuming power, has been accused by the renowned ex-militant Asari Dokubo of making lopsided appointments by completely ignoring the southeast. Although it is too early to determine if he will replicate the actions of his predecessor, President Muhammadu Buhari, who appointed mostly his tribesmen to political positions.

The governor of Benue State, Received Hyacinth Alia, has also been accused of making seven controversial moves within just seven days in office, including ignoring Zone C in his political appointments and favoring his own zone by more than 99%, while giving only a single slot to Zone B. It is worth noting that he is also affiliated with the APC.

To exacerbate matters, the Lagos State House of Assembly has promised to enact laws "to protect the indigenes of Lagos State," as stated by the Speaker, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa. He further added, "Lagos is a Yoruba land, as opposed to the assertions of some people claiming it as no man's land. Therefore, part of our legislative agenda is to ensure the translation of laws passed by this House into the Yoruba language."

According to the speaker, the new land and property laws only favor indigenes. He stated, "We also aim to achieve our collective goals of creating a robust legislative framework that protects the interests of our people. Moving forward, we will utilize all legislative instruments to support the indigenes of Lagos. There will be laws and resolutions in the areas of economy and commerce, property and titles, and we will reverse anything that can be reversed to protect the interests of the indigenes."

This statement made during the inauguration of the present House raises questions about why non-indigenes of Lagos State have been a source of concern in terms of business and land ownership. It suggests that success in building a viable business and affording landed property is interpreted as a threat. This can lead one to conclude that these laws aim to deepen ethnic and tribal divides, making tribalism a legal basis in Lagos State, particularly against the Igbo people.

It's important to recall that during the presidential and governorship elections, many Igbos supported the Labour Party's presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the LP for the state governorship election. The reactions following the victory of Peter Obi over Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), on February 25,

 gave rise to these laws.

Therefore, a question that needs to be asked is, "Is Lagos no longer part of Nigeria, or has it become a crime for individuals to vote for their preferred candidates if those in power disapprove? Does the Nigerian constitution support the creation of laws that create first-class and second-class citizens based on religious affiliations and native ethnicity?"

We have all witnessed the empowerment of the Fulani herdsmen and the rise of banditry during the Buhari administration, along with the resultant division caused by tribal bigotry and selective application of the rule of law. With hopes of healing and unification under a new administration, it is disheartening for any Nigerian with a semblance of patriotism to witness the blatant promotion of bigotry and division in a manner never seen before.

It appears that in the present dispensation, the APC is keen, very keen on the disintegration of the Nigerian entity, with agents working towards this goal from different parts of the country. However, we hope that the person at the top proves us wrong. Otherwise, it would not only mean that Nigeria has a big problem, but that our people have a very big problem.