Politics in a developing country such as Nigeria is often tied to the benefits accruing to the individuals and the people in the immediate environment of the politicians. Unlike the advanced democracies of Western Europe and America, where political participation is based on the basis of residency, political participation in this part of the world is tied to the role of aborigines. This may seem extraneous in view of lack of provision for such role in laws guiding political participation in the country. However, this has become the norm in most states of Nigeria where political appointment is tied to place of origin. Thus, a non-indigene of a state may participate in the politics of his place of residence, but may be screened out of elective position. The situation in Lagos State is however different. Politics of Lagos seems to have been determined largely in favour of non-indigenes who often takes the juicy elective /political positions. This paper therefore examines factors that has over time led to the exclusion of the aborigines of Lagos in politics. The research adopted historical qualitative and analytical methods, using primary and secondary sources that were subjected to scrutiny prior to arriving at conclusion. The paper concludes that the preeminent position of Lagos as pivot of political agitation was one of the factors responsible for its present position.
Key words: Aborigines, Politics, Exclusion, Lagos, Non-indigenes.