The demolition of Igbo-owned properties in Lagos is not merely an urban planning matter—it is intertwined with decades of political maneuvering.

The story begins in 1998, when Senator Bola Tinubu won the Alliance for Democracy (AD) governorship ticket. Favored for his role in the NADECO/Afenifere struggle and exile experience, Tinubu sidelined notable contenders like Funsho Williams and Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele. While AD members followed traditional Awoist procedures, Tinubu employed strategies inspired by Shehu Yar’Adua’s Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM), establishing himself as a political tactician rather than an Awoist loyalist.

Upon taking office in 1999, Tinubu gradually moved Lagos and the South-West away from Afenifere influence, consolidating power. This set the stage for complex relations with the Igbo community, which had long controlled key Lagos markets such as Alaba, Balogun, and Trade Fair. Despite overtures from Tinubu in 2003 and 2007 for political support, most Igbo residents remained loyal to the PDP, aiming for broader national political opportunities.

Tensions intensified as Tinubu allied with the North-West to strengthen the APC. By 2023, after his defeat to Peter Obi in the presidential election, demolitions of Igbo properties appeared to reflect political retribution, signaling fears that the Igbo population could disrupt his political dominance.

However, demolitions are not exclusively Igbo-focused. Yoruba-dominated areas, like Oworonshoki and estates along the Lekki-Aja corridor, are also affected. Reports indicate 176 estates marked for demolition, suggesting a broader urban restructuring rather than purely ethnic targeting.

For Lagos’s Igbo residents, these events highlight the intersection of politics, ethnicity, and urban planning—and the enduring insecurity of property amid shifting political landscapes.

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