NOT YOUR LAGOS
Revisiting encounters with ethnic profiling, violence, and disenfranchisement in Nigeria’s 2023 elections.
‘GO BACK TO IMO, YOU CANNOT VOTE HERE’
While I was going to drop my ballot paper in the box, I heard the man facing me say, “Oh, you live in this neighbourhood, abi (right)? Don’t worry, we’ll come for you.” And you know what it means … It’s really amusing. Yes, my name is Blessing. I hear that comment a lot that I look Igbo, but I’m Yoruba. I’m Ijesha. Even if I am not Yoruba, that doesn’t mean you have the right to tell me not to cast my vote in a particular polling unit, because what? Because you’re a political thug or because you think you have some loyalty to defend and to protect some person’s mandate.
‘HERE NO BE UNA LAND, MAKE UNA GO BACK’
Some of them were actually saying, “Omo Igbo, una no go like go back to una land. Here no be una land, make una go back. Wetin una dey find for here?” It looked somehow. Because of the election, you remember that these people are Omo Igbos. But after the general election, you act like everybody is normal again. You still come back to gist with that Omo Igbo. You still want to come back and ask the Omo Igbo for money again.
IT WAS LIKE WARFARE
What I experienced that very day, I don’t want it to occur again. I was so intimidated. A lot was said to me. “Who are these people? Where did these bastards come from? We will take back our land.” The previous elections held were not as hot as those of 2023. Not that the previous ones were not hot, but 2023 was the height of it. It wasn’t what we expected.
‘THUGS CAME OVER TO BEAT PEOPLE’
The incident during the 2023 election was the first time I personally experienced something like that. I have been in Lagos for 30 years. I started voting when I was 25. On the election day, some groups of thugs came over there to scatter everywhere and beat people. The police officers were present there; I don’t know if they were scared of those guys.
THE THREE POLICE OFFICERS DID NOTHING
Some words were uttered, I can still remember: “Who are those? Go to Anambra. Which one is rubbish?”, shouting and slamming the table. Those statements are still in my memory because they made people feel unwanted and afraid. There were more than three police officers. Yet, they did nothing while these thugs were shouting. People expected intervention, but nothing happened at that moment.
As I listened to the stories in this collection, I noticed a common pattern. Many of them described an atmosphere of fear, intimidation, and uncertainty, particularly during the 2023 governorship election in Lagos state.
The interviewees shared how the general elections left lasting impressions on them when all they had wanted to do was exercise their constitutional right to vote. And these experiences go beyond political preferences. They recounted being threatened, harassed, verbally abused, and discouraged from voting because of their perceived ethnic identity or political affiliation. They also expressed disappointment with the conduct of security personnel, stating that, in many cases, police officers were either absent or failed to intervene.
The stories are marked by anxiety, disappointment, and, in some cases, courage.
The major challenge I encountered was getting people to speak openly. I reached out to people directly, through referrals, and through social media platforms, but most people were unwilling to talk because of the fear surrounding the topic. While a few people eventually responded, many did not want to grant interviews or share their experiences. This challenge continued for about one month.
Just as the interviewees expressed strong willingness to participate in future elections, despite the assault they faced, I hope others in a similar situation do the same and continue to exercise their franchise.
I also hope the government and security agencies ensure adequate protection for voters and electoral officials, so that polling units remain safe spaces for citizens to freely exercise their democratic rights.
— Damilola Olufemi.
I’M YORUBA, BUT THEY SAID ‘GO BACK TO ANAMBRA’
Old men were saying things like “Go back to Anambra”, and I was challenging them that I’m a Yoruba person. My surname is Bolarinwa. Then the man said, “Omo ale ni e (you are a bastard). Why will you be voting for an Igbo person…” I got plenty of slaps on my face. One of the women in the area familiar with me was the one who rushed out and said, “Are you going to say you don’t know this guy any more? Why are you now beating him?” She was the one who saved me from those guys that day because it would have been much worse.
NOT SURE I WILL VOTE IN 2027
The 2023 presidential election in Lagos was my first time attempting to vote in Lagos. What I experienced there was different. Lagos was somehow rough during the election. Before people even got close to the polling unit, announcements were already being made. People were told openly that if they were not voting for the APC, they should go back home… In my area, it was mainly the area boys making those announcements. They were the ones telling people that if they were not voting for a particular candidate, they should leave. It was not an official announcement from INEC, but everybody around heard what they were saying.
MANY PEOPLE WERE TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL
After the election, some of the people I know in my immediate environment began to regret the role they had played. Apart from the economic hardship, life was so terrible for a lot of people. But as for the violence and the attack, it didn’t continue because immediately after the election, it was like their job had been done. So, everybody became everybody’s neighbour again. Those who used to come and ask you for support continue to come and ask you for that support, despite what they did during the election.
‘THIS ONE IS OMO IGBO, THEY SHOULDN’T VOTE’
I know a man, my neighbour, who was flogged and brutally wounded. He had to visit the hospital to take care of himself after the election. In the next election, if they are not encouraged to put away their fear and come out to vote, many of them will not vote. It is only when they know that there is adequate security. A lot of people became discouraged because they believed nobody was there to protect them. People need confidence and assurance that their safety will be guaranteed before they can freely participate again.
EVERYTHING TURNED UPSIDE DOWN
The thugs don’t even care or bother to know or look at faces if you are Yoruba or any other tribe. Some people might have been the target of others because of where they think they are from or how they look, but I cannot confirm that was the reason. I ran as much as I could. That was how I was able to escape being flogged, and because it wasn’t far from my place. That also served as a saving grace for me.
We reached out to the Lagos Police Command and the Lagos Commissioner of Information for reactions. The police spokesperson said she could not comment because she was appointed two years after the incidents. Follow-up questions were ignored. The commissioner neither answered our calls nor responded to our questions.
Curation by: Damilola Olufemi.
Edited and designed by: ‘Kunle Adebajo.
Multimedia production by: Anthony Asemota.
This series was produced with support from Gatefield.
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