Pulse Opinion: Why the Eti-Osa House of Reps race is a must follow

We are right in the thick of the election season with millions of people transfixed on the presidential election and the two main candidates, the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

On Saturday, February 16, 2019, millions of Nigerians will head to the polls to vote for the presidential candidate of their choice. For people living in Eti-Osa federal constituency, they will also be deciding who will be representing them at the House of Representatives at the federal level.

The contest between Atiku and Buhari is the headline fight, but the Eti-Osa federal constituency election is also a must follow for people who are keen on politics and people who live in this area. House of Reps elections don't get a lot of buzz, but this one should grab the headlines because of how significant it will turn out to be.

Prior to the 2019 election, Nigerian youths clamoured for access to the political system, yearning to play a strong role in the decision-making process of the affairs of this country. Their concerted effort led to President Buhari signing the Not Too Young To Run bill into law in February 2018.

This Eti-Osa House of Reps election is a micro victory of the passing of the bill. Out of the four candidates vying to represent Eti-Osa, three of them are in their 30s. Bankole Wellington of the Modern Democratic Party (MDP) is 37 years old. Ibrahim Babajide Obanikoro of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is 37 years old, and Ferdinand Ladi Adimefe of the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN) is 35 years old.

Only Omotesho Tony Bakare of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is not in the youth bracket. He is 50 years old.

This race represents the involvement of Nigerian youth in politics. It should be fresh, exciting and invigorating and vibrant to watch, to say the least. Hopefully, it will herald a new narrative of young people actively participating in governance and not placing their destiny in the hands of the old guard of politicians who have steered the nation wrong so far.

The fact that these gentlemen are running to represent Eti-Osa federal constituency adds another layer or dimension of excitement to the race. Eti-Osa federal constituency is the prized jewel of Lagos state. Eti-Osa covers the most affluent areas in Lagos, Ikoyi, Victoria Island and Lekki Phase 1.

It is one of the most important federal constituencies also. It is therefore not an understatement to say that elected individuals representing this federal constituency area will be one of the most important people to oversee the development of Lagos state in the grand scheme of things.

Lagos, despite being the economic nerve centre of Nigeria, has not exactly witnessed the growth and development worthy of its status. Within the last few years, we have seen that state legislation is not enough to give Lagos a serious lift.

Federal legislation is needed to make Lagos a mega city for all of its citizens. To achieve this, senators and representatives from Lagos have to push for these changes. Obviously, whoever is representing Eti-Osa will play a key role as he represents one of the most important areas in Lagos. This is why this Eti-Osa House of Reps election should be closely followed because it will determine the future of Lagos.

The Eti-Osa House of Reps election I suspect will also serve as a litmus test to find out the potency of social media orchestrated elections. Bankole Wellington (Banky W) is a popular Nigerian singer. The strength of his campaign has been online and this election we will find out how far social media political campaigns can affect elections. It will be a battle between a glitzy social media-driven campaign and street-led political campaigns of old.

It will also be a clash of a political upstart with a large fan base and the son of an established political heavyweight in Lagos. The election is more than the two of them, but Mr Wellington and Mr Bankole are the stars of the race.

The fact that a singer as popular Banky W is in this election adds a bit of sensation to the race. Now, more eyes are on this race because of his star power and pull.

Saturday, February 16, 2019, is a key date for Nigerians and for people living in Eti-Osa. The House of Representatives election will play a strong role in deciding the future of Lagos state. It's an election that you don't want to miss.

On Monday, February 4, 2019, MediaRoomHub in conjunction with BBC World Service and Pulse Nigeria will conduct the Eti-Osa House of Representatives Debate at Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The four contestants for the Eti-Osa House of Representatives election, Bankole Wellington, Ibrahim Babajide Obanikoro, Ferdinand Ladi Adimefe and Omotesho Tony Bakare will be present for the debate.

There will be two debates on the day. The English and Pidgin debate will start from 12:00pm to 1:30pm. The Yoruba debate will start from 2:00pm and end at 3:00pm.

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