Akinwunmi Ambode Vs Jimi Agbaje: The Right Person To Vote For!!

Onyebuchi Ememanka writes;

What is the principal interest of
the Igbos in Lagos? What do we seek to achieve in our sojourn here?

My take is simple. We seek a
prosperous Lagos that is economically viable, peaceful….a mini Nigeria of
sorts where all people are able to live and pursue their livelihood without let
or hinderance. As a people that thrive on commerce, Igbos want a Lagos where
there are government policies that promote the growth of commerce and business.

A Lagos where government builds
roads, bridges, hospitals and is generally alive to their duties. Education is
free in Lagos and our children enjoy this. No Igbo child has been sent away from
any public school in Lagos. Lagos state government pays WAEC and NECO fees for
all students in Lagos….our children enjoy this too.

What do we really want in Lagos?
The truth is that we are strangers here. Lagos belongs to some people, just
like Onitsha and Aba. Let’s not carry on as if this place is a no man’s land.
It is not. All of a sudden, Jimi Agbaje has become an Igboman….we have
adopted him as our son…..the same way we adopted President Jonathan in the
last election against our strategic interest as a people…a decision that has
left us in serious political confusion and our senators begging to be admitted
into the APC.

What is the difference between
Jimi Agbaje and Akinwumi Ambode? Is any of them Igbo? What is our problem? I
believe that we have a fair share here. We live in peace unlike our people in
the North. I don’t think there are more Igbos in Lagos than there are in Kano,
yet we live peacefully here. Yorubas are highly politically sophisticated
people and they understand that it us better for them to have a government in Lagos
that belongs to the same party as the party at the centre. Igbos cannot love
Lagos more than Yorubas. This is their land. If anything happens here now, we
will all leave and return home. These people own here…this is their home and
we must respect their feelings. Every person living in Lagos wants more federal
presence in Lagos. We want a 4th mainland bridge, we want so many other things
that the federal government can do. In the years past, Lagos hasn’t enjoyed
much federal intervention because of political party differences. Now they have
that chance and we want to spoil it for them by being more catholic than the
pope.

Let everybody vote any candidate
he wants but I reject any collective Igbo move to vote against the strategic
interests of the people who own the land where we live and make our living.
Lagos has been good to our people. We have succeeded here in business and the
professions.

Let’s not disrespect the people of
Lagos. I will not support any move that will create an impression that Igbos
are against the interest of the owners of Lagos. Nobody has murdered our people
here like what we see in the north. Lagos remains the only state in this
country where Igbos hold top government positions. Even our neighbors and
brothers, Rivers State have never given us that privilege despite our huge population
and presence there.

As for me, I want Lagos to
progress and on Saturday, I will proudly vote for Akinwumi Ambode.