Ohanaeze Ndigbo Alleges Igbo Voter Suppression in Lagos Local Elections
Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos president, Dr. Solomon Ogbonna Aguene, has alleged that Igbos are being systematically disenfranchised and excluded from local elections in Lagos State, describing the situation as evidence of a broken democracy dominated by opportunists.
Enet
The President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Lagos State, Dr. Solomon Ogbonna Aguene, has raised concerns over the alleged disenfranchisement of Igbos during the ongoing local government elections held today, July 12, across the state.
Speaking from his Ikoyi residence, Dr. Aguene expressed disappointment over what he described as a consistent pattern of exclusion faced by Igbo residents during electoral processes in Lagos. According to him, Igbo politicians are routinely denied the right to vote and contest for local offices such as chairmanship and councillorship.
“Do you know that Igbos living in Lagos are consistently denied the opportunity to vote?” he said. “This has been happening every election cycle. We're excluded from contesting key local government positions, even though we play a major role in the state’s economic and political development. At best, we see one or two Igbos serve as vice chairmen in a few local governments.”
Dr. Aguene went further to criticize the state of democracy in Nigeria, stating that what currently exists is a system dominated by opportunists rather than one driven by equity, justice, and fairness.
“There is voter apathy in Lagos and across the country because people are tired of voting only for opportunists who grab power and rule,” he said. “Governance in Nigeria is controlled by a select few, while the majority, including essential workers like journalists and security personnel, struggle to survive.”
He emphasized that Igbos are among the major investors in Lagos and should be fairly represented in political leadership, adding that the ongoing marginalization reflects the broader failures of Nigeria’s democratic system.
