By Dapo Akinrefon
Lagos State indigenes under the aegis of De Renaissance Patriots Foundation, have accused the Senate of ignoring its petitions opposing the confirmation of certain ambassadorial nominees.
The group, in a statement by its Media Office, said it had written several petitions to President Bola Tinubu and Senate President Godswill Akpabio to protest the nomination of Mr Femi Pedro and Mrs Lola Akande, whom it described as non-indigenes of Lagos State.
The Foundation expressed surprise at reported comments attributed to Senate President, in which he reportedly stated that confirmation of the nominees proceeded because no substantial objections had been received.
Reacting to the claim, it described the statement as “insincere,” insisting that its opposition was clearly communicated to the Senate President.
The statement reads: “We categorically rejected Pedro and Akande as nominees to represent Lagos State, stressing that Lagos has its indigenes who are constitutionally entitled to occupy such positions.
“Other states such as Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Ondo and Ekiti have their indigenes representing them. Lagos should not be different.”
It, however, alleged that non-indigenes from other South-West states, have “systematically excluded Lagos natives from political power and access to opportunities in their state.”
It further lamented what it called a long-standing pattern of injustice from 1999, claiming that Lagos indigenes have been unable to “freely determine their political leadership”, including governorship candidates.
It said: “This is tyranny at work. Our people are steadily losing their constitutional rights, while others who already have states of origin continue to dominate political entitlements in Lagos.”
In addition, it expressed disappointment that the Senate, which it described as a representative body of Nigeria’s diverse peoples and cultures, did not address what it termed “unprecedented injustice” against Lagos indigenes.
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