THE OTHER SIDE OF THE IGBOPHOBIA COIN – IS IGBOPHOBIA THE INEVITABLE CONSEQUENCE OF YORUBAPHOBIA?

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IGBOPHOBIA IS A REACTION TO YORUBAPHOBIA — But Both Must Be Condemned [ By Dr. Ope Banwo, Founder, Naija Lives Matter and The Mayor of Fadeyi

Let me begin by restating what I’ve always stood for: I condemned Hausaphobia during the Buhari era when it was fashionable to hate Northerners. I recently called out the creeping plague of Igbophobia in Lagos after the blatant overreach and discriminatory actions by the Lagos State Government.

But now, it’s time to speak a hard, inconvenient truth many are too scared—or too politically correct—to admit:

Igbophobia did not arise in a vacuum. It is, in large part, a reaction to Yorubaphobia.

🔥 A Nation on Edge — Fueled by Mutual Phobias

Tribal phobias have become Nigeria’s favorite poison. But let’s be honest: in today’s Nigeria, Yorubas have become public enemy number one in the eyes of many non-Yoruba Nigerians—especially some Igbos.

From Twitter Spaces to WhatsApp groups, and even mainstream Igbo media, a disturbing narrative has emerged:
👉🏾 Yorubas are the oppressors.
👉🏾 Yorubas are the enablers of corruption.
👉🏾 Yorubas are the manipulators of the system.

Some Igbos now behave as though Yorubas are solely responsible for the pain of the South East, the lost dreams of Biafra, and even their inability to win elections.

How did we get here?

It started with unchecked Yorubaphobia: the ridicule of Yoruba culture; the insults against Yoruba elders; the mockery of Yoruba traditional values; and the constant attacks on Yoruba political choices. It built up slowly. And after the 2023 elections—when the Kingmaker of Lagos shockingly lost in his own backyard—the rage exploded.

💥 The Elephant in the Room: Obi’s Loss and the Targeting of Yorubas

A big part of the escalation, which many refuse to talk about, is this:

After Peter Obi lost the presidential election, many of his Igbo supporters transferred their disappointment and anger onto the Yoruba race.

Somehow, Bola Tinubu became synonymous with Yoruba identity.
Somehow, the Yoruba people became the collective face of betrayal—even though many of us, including myself, voted for Peter Obi against our Yoruba kinsman.

Let’s not forget that Peter Obi won the presidential election in Lagos.
Who do you think made that happen—spirits? It was Yoruba voters.

So, this idea that all Yorubas are anti-Obi or anti-Igbo is not just wrong—it’s intellectually dishonest and deeply unfair.

Many Yoruba Obidients—like myself, like Akin, like countless others—have now been vilified, not just by APC loyalists but by Igbo Obidients who cannot distinguish between a tribe and a political party.

You cannot continue to hurl insults at an entire ethnic group, day after day, meme after meme, video after video—and then act shocked when some of them start to push back.
You cannot sow Yorubaphobia and then cry foul when Igbophobia rears its ugly head.

⚖️ Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right—But One Often Leads to Another

Let’s be clear:
Igbophobia is wrong.
Yorubaphobia is wrong.
But if we want healing, we must understand the cause of the sickness.

Yorubas didn’t just wake up and decide to hate Igbos.
Many felt pushed. They felt disrespected in their own land. And perception—whether you agree with it or not—often becomes reality.

🧠 Stakeholder vs Guest: Let’s Talk About What That Means

I’ve said before, and I’ll say it again: Igbos are not guests in Lagos.
That guest narrative is outdated and unhelpful.

However, being a stakeholder is not the same as being an equal partner.

In any corporate structure, a stakeholder has rights—but not veto power.
A stakeholder must operate with decorum, understanding that ultimate authority still rests with the majority shareholders.

Yorubas still own the land.
Yorubas still shape the culture.
Yorubas still control the political machinery in their homeland.

So, when Igbo stakeholders act like they can override or mock the choices of the indigenes—especially in a democracy—they create resentment.

Even in business, an unruly minority shareholder who continually antagonizes the board will be frozen out. That’s just common sense.

💔 Nigeria Is a Country, Not Yet a Nation

Let’s face it: Nigeria is not one nation. It is many nations in one country.

  • Hausa nation
  • Yoruba nation
  • Igbo nation
  • Tiv nation
  • Ijaw nation
  • Nupe nation
  • Ibibio nation
  • And so on…

We are a federation of ethnicities pretending to be one.
That’s why we are tribe-first, Nigeria-second—and the cracks are showing.

Until we restructure this federation to reflect our ethnic realities—politically, economically, and constitutionally—we will keep fighting over identity, ownership, and legitimacy.

🛠️ 5 Brutally Honest Ways Forward

  1. Constitutional Restructuring Along Ethnic Lines
    Acknowledge ethnic nations and grant them more control over land, language, and local governance.
  2. Intertribal Education in Schools
    Teach kids real, unbiased histories of all tribes to foster respect and destroy inherited prejudice.
  3. Constitutional Protection of Minority Stakeholders
    Safeguard minority rights without threatening indigenous authority.
  4. Create Tribal Harmony Commissions in All States
    Independent bodies to mediate ethnic tensions and hold both indigenes and settlers accountable.
  5. Stop the Weaponization of Elections
    It’s okay for Yorubas to vote Yoruba, and Igbos to vote Igbo. Stop criminalizing ethnic self-interest in a tribal federation.

📣 Final Words

We cannot stop Igbophobia until we stop tolerating Yorubaphobia.
We cannot stop tribal conflict if we keep pretending that one tribe is the victim and another is the villain.

No tribe is innocent.
But no tribe is the enemy either.

We are not enemies. We are inconvenient neighbors.
And like all neighbors, we must learn to respect boundaries, talk without shouting, and disagree without declaring war.

It’s time to stop the hypocrisy.
Time to stop expecting peace where we’ve sown provocation.
Time to mature as a people.

Let’s grow up—before Nigeria finally gives up.

My name if Ope Banwo and I say its time to root out tribalphobia in our land