Tinubu Under Attack Over False Narratives

Tinubu Under Attack Over False Narratives

OpenLife Nigeria reports that as preparations for the 2023 general elections gathers momentum, there are claims and counter claims by candidates who weave narratives to woo voters.
In the case of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, he has claimed to be responsible for the developmental progress of Lagos State.
Tinubu who was governor of Lagos State between 1999 and 2007, has never failed to tell his story at every available opportunity that he engineered and laid the foundation of the developments in Lagos.
Reacting through a title: THERE WAS NO LAGOS STATE IN 1960, obtained by OpenLife from the Facebook wall of CKN, a group simply identified as “ConcernedLagosians” wrote:

In 1960, what we had was Lagos Federal Capital (formerly Lagos Colony).

Lagos Capital of 1960 was Isale Eko, Victoria Island, Ikoyi and part of Apapa.

Ketu, Ojota, Somolu, Bariga, Yaba, Isolo, Ikeja, Alimosho, Ipaja, Ikorodu, Epe, Lekki, Ajah, Badagary, Mushin, Agege were all in Western region

Lagos State was only created in 1967, and there was a callous intention as to why Yakubu Gowon created Lagos State.

Obafemi Awolowo created industrial estates in Ikeja, Isolo, Iganmu, Ilupeju and co when those places were in Western region.

Gowon simply merged the industrial estates Awolowo created with Lagos Colony to form Lagos State in 1967. Awolowo created those industrial estates with cocoa money.

Lagos State is made up of 5 districts of Ikeja, Badagry, Ikorodu, Lagos (Isale Eko) and Epe. Only one was Lagos Colony of 1914 to 1960, and that is Lagos Island. The remaining 4 districts were in Western Region.

So when any non-indigene tells you the usual trash that they made Lagos or that Lagos was a former capital or that Lagos is a No-Man’s Land, please just ignore them.

What took some settlers to Lagos was the Industrial estates Awolowo created, not as the federal capital and same is the story for over 90% of the settlers in the state today.

The Carter Bridge was the only bridge linking Lagos Colony to the Western Region. It was after Ojukwu attempted to blow it up during the civil war that Awolowo facilitated the building of Eko Bridge in 1975. Awolowo as the finance minister and de-facto number 2 to Gowon revolutionized infrastructural development of the new Lagos State.

Major existing landmarks in Lagos State today are the works of Ọbafemi Awolowo, Yakubu Gowon, Mobolaji Johnson, Lateef Jakande, etc…

After Almighty God who created Lagos strategically, Awolowo, Jakande, etc.. made it what it is today.

This is plain, historical reality and not about any partisanship or political sentiments.

So please advise all those who are now twisting the narratives and claiming the achievements of Ọbafemi Awolowo and other forefathers to please go back to their own father’s states of origin and fence their own village, the group advised.

This reaction, however, provoked torrent of comments on social media by Nigerian voters most of whom cautioned Tinubu to either desist from false claims or risk not getting votes in the election.

“He should stop telling lies. Lies will not help Tinubu. He has lost my respect” Kennedy John, a social media influencer said.

Another social media enthusiat simply identified as Kate said “Why is this old man telling lies that he built Lagos? Why should old man be lying,” she asked rhetorically