By: Bode Opeseitan
A troubling pattern now defines public discourse in Nigeria: the knee-jerk cry of marginalization, weaponized on social media whenever Lagos enforces its laws. The same actions—demolition of illegal structures, urban renewal, enforcement of planning codes—occur routinely in South East states, yet pass without national outrage or ethnic framing. Why then does Lagos trigger hysteria?
In the past, governors across Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo states have demolished illegal structures—citing urban renewal, flood control, or master plan enforcement. No national outrage. No ethnic lamentation. No Peter Obi or Benjamin Kalu issuing statements of grief. But when Lagos enforced its laws at the Trade Fair Complex, Obi called it a ‘test of justice, equity, and compassion’. Kalu declared, ‘our hearts bleed.’ Suddenly, legality gave way to ethnicity.
This selective outrage is intellectually dishonest and politically dangerous. It erodes the rule of law and replaces it with emotional blackmail. The Lagos State Government has clarified that the Trade Fair Management Board—a federal entity—cannot issue building permits. Land use and physical planning are state matters, affirmed by the Supreme Court. Lagos said it offered multiple windows for regularization. Many ignored them. Some developers refused dialogue. The Lagos State Government further claimed its officials were attacked. Yet, the narrative spun was one of persecution, not enforcement.
Peter Obi’s response lacked legal clarity or national interest—it was showboating. A statesman asks: were the structures legal? Not: who owns them? His emotionally charged rhetoric undermines the very principles he once upheld. As governor, he demolished illegal structures across Anambra—along roads, markets at Upper Iweka and Ochanja, even a local government office built on a stadium. There were reports he refused to pay compensation in many instances. What he enforced without drama, he now condemns with flair.
Even more troubling is the intellectual surrender of many in his camp. Brilliant minds go silent when Ndigbo is the subject. Reason is shelved. Sentiment reigns.
Lagos, meanwhile, bears the brunt of this hysteria. It is the city they love to hate. Millions thrive in it. Yet, some curse it with bile and disdain. There is a spiritual dimension to this ingratitude. We cannot curse the land that sustains us and expect its blessings to endure.
When Lagos beautifies itself, critics cry foul. And when the FG builds the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road, they call it a misplaced priority. When the same FG announced the renovation of the Muritala Muhammed Airport, they scoffed. But who will use these infrastructures? Only Yoruba people? Are they not for the benefit of all?
Just as Dubai’s early prioritization spurred global visibility long before Abu Dhabi’s rise, strategic development often begins with a strong nucleus before diffusion. Even so, the Federal Government has endeavored to spread impactful projects across all regions—ensuring that while the nucleus thrives, other growth centers are steadily strengthened.
Lagos is Nigeria’s nucleus. To disparage its growth is to sabotage national progress.
There is now a growing Yoruba pushback. If both sides persist in mutual suspicion and digital warfare, something will give. Nigeria cannot afford another fault line. We must return to reason. Ask the right questions. Build a nation where legality—not ethnicity—guides our actions.
Sentiment doesn’t build nations. Laws do. Vision does. Truth does.
#Nigeria
#Lagos
#UrbanRenewal
