RUMOUR, ELITE MEDIATION AND ETHNIC IDENTITY IN PUBLIC PERCEPTION MANAGEMENT DURING THE LAGOS DEMOLITION CRISIS

Abstract

The focus of this study is the impact of elite political mediation and rumour mongering on ethnic interpretations and public perception during the Lagos demolition crisis. It is based on the interventions of Senator Victor Umeh in the Abule Ado and Lagos Trade Fair controversies and the fact that accusation of ethnic targeting was played off against official allegations of planning violations. The qualitative approach was carried out using a documentary case-study design. The data were gathered purposively from a published interview with Senator Umeh, TV interviews, government responses, and selected news reports published from November 2023 to October 2025. An interview guide was adopted for the interview session, while the data gathered was analysed thematically. The findings indicate that Umeh's action was of humanitarian advocacy, professional interpretation of land issues, institutional negotiation and public reassurance. In Abule Ado, his story was not just one of ethnic persecution; it included dialogue, verification, regularisation and accommodation of affected interests. In the case of the Trade Fair Controversy, however, his jurisdictional criticism brought the issue to the attention of the nation and bolstered the call for due process. The study also revealed that rumour and ethnic identity mutually strengthened within the framework of an atmosphere of uncertainty, solidarity of the ethnic group, selective information uptake, and suspicion of official information. It states that any public perception management in a plural city must be based on early evidence, participatory communication and credible mediators that are able to admit grievances without exacerbating ethnic differences.