Youths, under the aegis of Coalition of Lagos Indigenous Youths, have rejected the recent endorsement of the son of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Seyi, for Lagos State Governorship contest in 2027 by a group known as Coalition of Nigerian Youth Leaders (CONYL), saying there is no vacancy for non-indigene to occupy Alausa Government House.
The Coalition, which made this declaration yesterday, in an issued statement, signed by its President, AbdulKareem Whyte, added that those promoting the ambition of a non-indigene ahead of the scheduled time should perish the thought based on too much marginalisation that the indigenes had suffered, leading to underdevelopment in the state.
Recall that CONYL, the umbrella body of all the youth groups drawn across the six geo-political zones in Nigeria, had met in Owerri, the Imo State capital, and publicly issued the statement endorsing Seyi Tinubu as next governor of Lagos State.
However, the Coalition, while admitting that Seyi Tinubu had his democratic rights as a Nigerian to aspire to any political office in the land, however, condemned the endorsement by CONYL, describing it as ill-fated, anti-democracy and a deliberate move to deny indigenes of Lagos State right to govern themselves in 2027.
The indigenous Lagosian youths said it was no longer news that since 1999, no true blood indigenes of Lagos had taken over the mantle of leadership in the State (except one), pointing out that the marginalisation on ground underscored the essence of democracy and, therefore, an outright denial of the indigenes of Lagos State the right to govern themselves.
This was as the Coalition also noted that there would soon be vacancy in Osun State, saying that Seyi Tinubu can best exercise his democratic rights unhindered there.
And if the people of Owerri in Imo are also interested in benefiting from the experience Seyi Tinubu has acquired in recent times, they can push him to succeed Governor Uzodinma. As for us, there is no vacancy for non indigenes in Lagos State in 2027. The marginalisation is too much, and it has led to the underdevelopment in the tate.
Its unbelievable that since 1999, our hinterlands are not developed, no good roads, Lagos State living on debts and our traditional system distorted by successive governments, the statement said.
Speaking further, the Coalition of Lagos Indigenous Youths said it was also aware of the moves by some non-indigenes to penetrate traditional rulers in the state in getting endorsements and ratifications from them, alleging that one of the aspirants recently suddenly traced his ancestry to Ojo Local Government after spending more than a decade in power without identifying with the Awori people of Ojo in Lagos State.
The Coalition, therefore, enjoined the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Osuolale Akiolu, to beware of persons who would soon seek indigeneship of Lagos State because of 2027, even as it equally counseled the leadership of CONYL to channel their energies towards advocating for good governance and policies that would benefit the youth constituency rather than instigating political crises in the State.
