Lagos Is Playing with Fire — And Tinubu Must Put It Out

By Babafemi Ojudu

A troubling trend is unfolding in Lagos State. In the aftermath of the recent local government elections, some newly elected officials have embarked on a reckless spree of renaming streets—particularly those bearing Igbo names or named after prominent non-indigenes. This is not coincidental; it is a calculated political maneuver rooted in resentment, identity politics, and shortsighted leadership.

The long-simmering tension between Yoruba and Igbo communities reached a boiling point during the 2023 elections. Peter Obi of the Labour Party shocked the political establishment by defeating Bola Ahmed Tinubu—Lagos’s long-reigning political figure—in the presidential poll within the state. That upset sent shockwaves through the ruling APC, and fears grew that a similar surprise might unfold in the governorship race. What followed was an aggressive, divisive campaign that shamelessly weaponized ethnicity, fear, and misinformation.

Wild accusations flew: that the Igbo had “bought up” Lagos, “taken over” the economy, and were scheming to seize political power. These narratives were dangerous—and not entirely new. But while they didn’t arise in a vacuum, they have been irresponsibly amplified.

It’s true that some individuals within the Igbo community, in asserting cultural pride, have crossed into political overreach—not just in Nigeria but abroad. A recent example is an Igbo man in Ghana who purchased large tracts of land and declared himself a king, sparking fears—justified or not—of secessionist ambitions in host communities. Similarly, the proliferation of self-styled “Eze Ndi Igbo” (Igbo kings) across non-Igbo regions can be perceived as provocative, especially when seen as parallel authority structures. While these acts may stem from pride and cultural identity, they can easily be exploited by opportunistic politicians to sow fear and division.

But make no mistake: these isolated actions do not justify collective punishment or cultural erasure.

Lagos was built by many hands—Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Urhobo, Tapa, and more. Its strength lies in its diversity. To target any group—especially one so deeply embedded in the city’s economy and social fabric—is not just morally wrong; it is politically suicidal.

Rather than stoking ethnic division, Lagos leaders should focus on the real threats to the city: youth unemployment, drug addiction, urban decay, traffic congestion, and collapsing infrastructure. These are the issues threatening Lagos’s future—not the names on its street signs.

What makes this ethnic posturing even more shortsighted is the broader national context. Discontent is rising across Nigeria. The economy is reeling, inflation is crushing households, and insecurity remains rampant. As the 2027 elections approach, the ruling APC is grappling with waning public trust. Alienating a significant Southern demographic—the Igbo—while Northern political elites express growing dissatisfaction with Tinubu’s leadership is a dangerous gamble.

Just recently, Northern heavyweight Rabiu Kwankwaso declared that the North feels marginalized under Tinubu’s presidency and may not support his re-election. If the North grows distant and the Southeast is antagonized, where will the support come from? This trend risks isolating the South West politically—and that isolation will not bode well for the Yoruba, both at home and in the diaspora.

This is where President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must rise above the fray. He cannot afford to allow partisan loyalty or ethnic sentiment to blind him to the growing danger of ethnic polarization. Left unchecked, it could spiral into something far more sinister—even ethnic cleansing. Nigeria is too fragile for such a descent.

The President must initiate a process of reconciliation. He should reach out to Igbo leaders—both at home and abroad—to promote moderation and mutual respect. Online abuse and reckless insults, such as referring to revered Yoruba figures like Wole Soyinka in derogatory terms, must cease. I was stunned to read a young Igbo man referring to Soyinka as a “gbajue professor.” Such incivility wounds the national psyche and deepens mistrust.

At the same time, Tinubu must speak frankly to Yoruba communities—especially indigenes of Lagos. Being a host comes with responsibility, not superiority. You cannot sell your land willingly, spend the proceeds on indulgent lifestyles, and then resent those who invested and built on that land. You cannot eat your cake and still have it. If you admire the success of others, emulate their work ethic and community spirit—don’t scapegoat them.

Meanwhile, fault lines are cracking elsewhere. In the North, Muslim-Christian tensions are rising. The once-cohesive Fulani-Hausa alliance is showing strain. In the South, Yoruba-Igbo relations are fraying. In the Niger Delta, some groups are rejecting the inclusion of Igbos in the Biafra narrative. Even among the Yoruba, there is growing resentment against the idea of “giving everything to Lagos,” while some Lagosians disparage non-indigenous Yoruba (“ara oke”) who’ve found success in the city.

Nigeria is a house divided—and unless urgent steps are taken, it may not stand much longer. The crisis in Rivers State has stirred new waves of resentment in the Niger Delta. Everywhere, identity-based fault lines are deepening.

President Tinubu must not be complacent. If Nigeria fractures, history will not remember his economic policies or political victories. It will remember that the house collapsed under his watch.

The task before him is urgent and non-transferable: call your boys to order, heal old wounds, unite the nation, and rise above petty politics. This is not a job for committees or proxies. Only bold, visionary leadership can pull Nigeria back from the brink.

The window is closing. Now is the time to act.

• Ojudu is a former Senator, journalist, political scientist,

*THE RESTORER'S DAILY GUIDE*

DATE: MONDAY 4TH AUGUST 2025

THEME: *THE DESTRUCTIVE POWER OF LYING*

MEMORIZE
Isaiah 28:17
Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.

READ
Isaiah 59:1-4 Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:
But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear.
For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.
None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity and speak lies; they conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
*Lying habitually destroys God's image in men and replaces it with Satan's image.*

MESSAGE
Yesterday, we saw that lies are temporal solutions to permanent problems and that all liars are Satan's children.

Today's text shows that one of the major hindrances to our prayers is the lying tongue. It is also confirmed in today's memory verse that those who take refuge in lies have no future in life and with God because God promised to destroy the refuge of lies.

Today, we shall consider the anatomy of lies and the destruction that the lying tongue causes.

It is worrisome that some people are pathological liars. In other words, their lying is abnormal. It has become a disease.

*To feel normal about lying is abnormal:* (especially as saints;) it is a deviation from a healthy or normal condition.

*Everyone who lies freely and habitually will gradually put on the nature of Satan and will also start looking like him spiritually speaking because Satan is the father of all liars.*

People tell lies for so many reasons.
Some lie because they do not believe in themselves. Jacob had to lie to fake an identity that was not his own.

Some lie because they seek credibility, which they lack.

Others lie because they are ignorant of the power of the truth. They do not know that truth is like God that cannot die.

No matter how long you bury the truth, it will rise again to speak for itself.

The Bible actually says we can do nothing against the truth but for the truth.

*Liars are confirmed satanists.*

They are legal children of Satan. And if they continue without repentance, Satan, their father, will one day claim his own when the time comes.

*Those who tell lies freely and habitually gradually destroy every trace of God in their lives, until they start to look more like Satan in the realm of the spirit instead of God their maker.*

*Lying habitually destroys God's image in men and replaces it with Satan's image.*

Beloved, be determined by God's grace and mercy to break free from the bondage of the lying spirit today because all liars have only one destination, which is hell fire.

If you are a seed of Yahweh, then you have the ability to overcome the lying spirit. (1John 5:4;)

Ask the Holy Spirit to help you today in Jesus' name. Amen.

ACTION STEPS
1. Turn your life over to the Lord Jesus Christ for help today.
2. Cry out to God for deliverance from the lying spirit now.
3. Soak your spirit in the blood of Jesus Christ for total cleansing and purging from the lying spirit.

PRAYERS
Dear heavenly Father, Thank you for today's devotional guide. Deliver me and help me to stay free from the lying spirit, keep me in the truth always in Jesus' name. Amen.

REMEMBER
*Lying habitually destroys God's image in men and replaces it with Satan's image*

AUTHOR: JEDIDIAH DAVID

DAILY READING: 1Samuel 12-15; Mark 14-16;

HYMN
What can wash away my stain ?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus !
What can make me whole again ?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus !

Oh, precious is the flow,
That makes me white as snow !
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus !

2
For my cleansing this I see —
Nothing but the blood of Jesus !
For my pardon this my plea —
Nothing but the blood of Jesus !

3
Nothing can for sin atone —
Nothing but the blood of Jesus !
Naught of good that I have done —
Nothing but the blood of Jesus !

4
This is all my hope and peace —
Nothing but the blood of Jesus !
This is all my righteousness —
Nothing but the blood of Jesus !

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Rivers LG Election: INEC Chairman Faults Short-Notice Polls, Cites Supreme Court Ruling | Naija News TV

https://youtu.be/nSXG-6Y8Bjs

*THE RESTORER'S DAILY GUIDE*

DATE: SUNDAY 3RD AUGUST 2025

THEME: *THE DECEITFULNESS AND DANGER OF LYING*

MEMORIZE
Colossians 3:9
Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

READ
Acts 5:1-11
But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet.
But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.
And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.
And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.
And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.
Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.
Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.
And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
*A lie is a temporary solution to a permanent problem*

MESSAGE
The Bible is full of stories of people who lied and were dealt with in very terrible ways.
Achan stole stuff and hid them, pretending to be a saint whereas he was a thief (there is no difference between a liar and a thief). He perished with his entire generation.

We read of Gehazi, who lied to Elisha, the man of God, and was punished with a generational leprosy.

Today's text shows how God hates lying. Annanias and Sapphira died both in one day because they lied to the Holy Spirit... Let us not toy with what God hates.

People tell lies oftentimes because of fear, or because of human favour they hope to get by it.

However, lying is beyond a mere act. There is a spirit responsible for lying. This spirit was recognised by the Lord Jesus Christ as Satan, the father of all liars.

The Bible puts it this way;
John 8:44
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

*This makes all liars Satan's children...*

Oftentimes, those who tell lies don't consider the outcome of their lies until they are caught...

God's beloved servant Pst W F Kumuyi once shared this story below;

"Three University student didn't write an exam because they did not study. They came up with a plan, got themselves dirty using grease, and then went to see the Dean.

"Sir, we are sorry we couldn't make it to the exam. We attended a wedding and on our way back the car broke down thus we became so dirty as you can see."

The Dean understood and gave them three days to prepare. After three days they went to the Dean very ready for the exam because they had studied.
The Dean put them in their separate classes.

There were only four questions in the exam paper:
1. Who and who got married? (25 mks)
2. Where was the reception held? (25mks)
3. Where exactly did the car break down? (25mks)
4. What type of car broke down? (25mks)
Note: Your answers must be the same.

MORAL LESSON: *A lie is a temporary solution to a permanent problem. Lying will enslave you. But truth will set you free.*

As a matter of fact, the Bible tells us that *one of the things taking people to hell fire is lying.*

*God considers the issue of lying so seriously that the Bible actually says that one little lie is enough to take someone to hell fire!*

Revelation 21:8, 27
But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and *ALL LIARS*, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or *MAKETH A LIE*: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

And yet, people lie so freely these days as though the standard of God's word has changed...

Please bear in mind that with God, there is no respect for people. Whoever fails or falls short in this regard must repent.

ACTION STEPS
1. Repent of every lie you have ever told in the past and be determined never to lie anymore.
2. Be determined to tell the truth about everything from now on.
3. Ask God to help you keep this vow always.

PRAYERS
Dear heavenly Father, thank you for today's devotional guide. Purge and cleanse totally from the spirit of lying. And keep me unspotted from every pollution of the lying spirit in Jesus' name. Amen.

REMEMBER
*A lie is a temporary solution to a permanent problem.*

AUTHOR: JEDIDIAH DAVID

DAILY READINGS: Hosea 5-7; Hebrews 10-13;

HYMN
Just as I am------without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidd'st me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come !

2
Just as I am---poor, wretched, blind,
Sight, riches, healing of the mind ;
Yea, all I need, in Thee to find,
O Lamb of God, 1 come !

3
Just as I am-----Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve :
Because thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come !

4
Just as I am----Thy love unknown
Has broken every barrier down :
Now to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come !

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Every bold step you take toward growth is a declaration of self-belief.

When you start a business, you're not just chasing an opportunity—you’re putting faith in your vision, your resilience, and your ability to create value where none existed.

When you begin a new project, you're trusting in your skills, your creativity, and your power to bring ideas to life, even when the outcome isn’t guaranteed.

When you choose to eat healthier, you’re choosing long-term well-being over short-term comfort. You’re investing in your future energy, focus, and vitality.

When you commit to a workout, you're prioritizing your strength—both mental and physical. You’re telling yourself you’re worth the effort, even when it's tough.

When you make something—whether it's art, a product, a plan, or a solution—you’re affirming that your thoughts matter and that your contributions have purpose.

And when you simply show up—on hard days, in unfamiliar rooms, or for your goals—you’re proving that you believe in your potential, even when it feels uncertain.

Every action that favors growth over ease, discipline over distraction, and vision over fear is a vote of confidence in yourself.

In all these moments, big or small, you’re placing a powerful bet on your own future.

Short as Life is, we make it shorter by the careless waste of time. Come gada wealth now.