Apex Yoruba sociocultural group, Afenifere, has backed Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in Lagos State, ahead of the March 18 governorship election.
Afenifere argued that the governorship election in Lagos is not a contest between people of the Igbo and the Yoruba in the state.
Speaking at a press conference in Lagos on Wednesday, Supo Shonibare, leader of the group in the state, said the election is “a contest of ideas and those who think that we are at a stage where there should be a change in the polity”.
Shonibare called on Lagos residents to avoid provocative comments and urged them to vote for Rhodes-Vivour on March 18.
“Afenifere has noted the brazen desperation of the APC party in Lagos state after all its efforts to create dissension, contrive misunderstanding and thereby foist on the people a situation of mutual hate and destroy have failed,” he said.
“They have also resorted to strong arms tactics by forcing people to do against their will even after they have been defeated at the presidential polls.
“It is believed that with INEC’s assurance and better performance and the people’s ability to be the watchdog of the ability to keep to that assurance that the polls on Saturday 11th of March and the procedure of uploading results through the BVAS will be seamless and in real-time. The manipulation is usually enabled after this process.
“Afenifere hereby enjoins all men and women of goodwill to turn out en masse on Saturday 11th of March to vote for architect Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the illustrious Rhodes Vivour family of Lagos whose family ancestry and pivotal contribution to the affairs of Lagos state dates back to five generations.
“Gbadebo is sure to make a huge difference to the unfortunate present state of brigandry, opportunism, impunity and prebendary.
“We implore Lagos residents to ignore provocative posts on social media. Many are aimed at fanning the embers of disunity among peace-loving residents and intended to pinch Yorubas against Igbos.
“Igbos voted for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in states of the south-east the same way that Yorubas voted for Mr Peter Obi in Lagos and other states in the south-west.
“The issue that we are confronting is not a contest between Igbos and Yorubas. It is the contest of ideas; it is the contest of those who think that we are at a stage where there should be a change in the polity.
“The narrative of Lagos being taken over by Igbos is a false narrative. Mr Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour is a Yoruba man with his great-grandfather being one of the indigenous founders of new Lagos immediately after colonialism.
“Lagos is not a no man’s land, it is a Yoruba territory. And we assure Lagosians that the government of Mr Rhodes-Vivour will comprise indigenous Lagosians as well as provide and ensure all ethnic groups and foreigners resident in Lagos are afforded their basic rights to ensure that they all contribute to the continuing growth of the city of Lagos that is the fifth largest economy in Africa.”