The Igbo community in Lagos state has expressed dissatisfaction over the conduct of some people during the Presidential and National Assembly elections on Saturday, February 23, 2019.
In several messages sent through social media platforms, they accused their host communities of marginalizing them saying it was shocking that they were not allowed to cast their votes peacefully at some polling units.
They maintained that the Igbo people contribute a lot to the development of the country and should be treated with respect instead of being seen as second class citizens during elections.
Some even insinuated that it was possible the Yoruba people did not actually like the Igbo people.
A Twitter user confirmed harassment of some Igbo people at their polling units
“Igbos were actually attacked at my unit. People were being beaten up and asked to leave the queue. Someone had to go and call soldiers to calm the situation. Because the police that came with INEC did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ABOUT THE SITUATION!!! Like they had been paid to sit there and look” – @ada__OG
“You guys always gaslight Igbo people when they complain of being slighted by Nigeria as a whole. It is very tribal, trying to frame it as anything else is wickedness” – @bolu_ay
“If only Igbos will come back home, develop it and make it attractive for businesses to thrive, all this nonsense will not be happening” – @laurettaOgbu
The on-going argument and rant also got some Yoruba people speaking up on their stance. According to some them, they do not hate the Igbo people, rather it is an APC vs PDP war.
“Yes, Igbos are being deliberately targeted. Yes, Bourdillon’s thugs are the ones doing it.
No, it doesn’t mean the Yoruba are the ones targeting you.” – @MuyiwaSaka
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“You people have turned this into Yoruba vs Igbo ??♂️ can’t you people use your sense??… the violence is politically motivated and not tribalistic” – @Topaz_akinz
Recall that a few days to the elections, which took place on Saturday, February 23, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, called the Igbos to support the APC ahead of the elections.
Tinubu on Wednesday, February 20, had appealed to Igbos who live in Lagos state to vote the candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the February and March elections.
Tinubu made the appeal in Ikeja while addressing party faithful at a stakeholders meeting.
“We will beat PDP on Saturday. They don’t have our strength in the North West, in the South-West and even in the Middle Belt. So how do they want to win? We will beat them. But I urge you our dear party members, you need to make the victory a resounding one. You must work hard and mobilise everyone to vote for our candidates,” he said.
