Former Minister of Communications, Maj. Gen. Tajudeen Olanrewaju (rtd), has disclosed that plans are underway to ensure that non-Lagosians do not get into elected offices in the 2027 election.

Olanrewaju, who is the alternate chairman of De Renaissance Patriots Foundation, in Ikorodu, Lagos State, in a statement yesterday, lamented that existing political parties in the state deny indigenes of the state the opportunity to fill important political posts during elections. He also revealed that the conspiracy to capture Lagos State permanently by the ruling elite, most of whom are resident non-indigenes, will be foiled in 2027.

He said: “Our state should do everything possible to ensure that indigenes are not overwhelmed by the daily movement of people who decide to settle in our midst. The ruling elite must not try to put a yoke of slavery on the indigenes because of the streaming migration of settlers on the land.

“The political parties must change their attitude and choose their candidates from the indigenous people of the state. I advise that the indigenes must fight to take back their state”.

“The residency factor has been solely used as a wedge and instrument of divide and rule to achieve control of our political rights. It is always a willing tool of political oppression that has kept indigenous people away from ruling the state. At the end of this tenure in 2027, it will be 19 years that Lagos State has remained a political orphan.

“We strongly believe that the ambiguity surrounding the issues of indigeneship should be considered in our memoranda that we submitted to the Constitution Review Committee.”

In addition, he said: “Indigenes across the parties must stand up and contest for any elective position from the governorship, Senate, House of Representatives, State Assembly, LGAs and Councillorship; and also vie for appointments into offices at state and federal levels. They should not be intimidated and must push back against political bullies. The indigenes from the five divisions must insist on their top party leaders that only indigenes must be nominated as their Governorship and Deputy Governorship candidates, Speaker, Assembly members, Senate and members of the House of Representatives.”