Solomon Ogbonna Aguene, President of the Lagos State chapter of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has strongly condemned the alleged disenfranchisement and exclusion of Igbo residents from participating in the ongoing local government elections across Lagos State.
Speaking from his Ikoyi residence on Saturday, Aguene also voiced displeasure over the consistent denial of Igbo politicians’ rights to vote and be voted for in every election cycle, going so far as to allege an absence of true democracy in Lagos State.
According to Aguene, the purported denial of voting rights for Igbos is a recurring issue in every election held within the state.
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He stated, “Do you know that the Igbo that are resident in Lagos state are denied the opportunity to vote? This is not just happening in this election; it occurs during every cycle of election. Igbo residents in the state are not given the opportunity to contest for local Government Chairmanship and councillorship positions. Despite our contribution to the economic and political growth of the state, we are being treated unfairly. There are one or two Igbo persons as Vice Chairmen of Local Governments.
“It is therefore safe to conclude that we don’t have democracy in Nigeria, because democracy promotes equity, justice and fairness. What we have is opportunists grabbing power and ruling. There is voter apathy in Lagos and Nigeria because Nigerians are tired of voting for opportunists
“Igbos are the ones investing heavily in Lagos. They are supposed to be given the opportunity to hold some positions in the state. Governance in Nigeria is just for the few as many Nigerians are really suffering. The working class including journalists and security officers whose profession are essential cannot even work and shelter for their families. The situation in Nigeria is terrible.”
