As audio, video recordings go viral, APC, Ambode suffer
social media backlash
Guber candidate: Igbos, non-indigenes have nothing to fear
in Lagos
Our Correspondents
There was an uproar in the country on Monday over the
threat made by the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, warning
Igbo residents to vote for the candidate of the All
Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos, Akinwunmi
Ambode, otherwise they would perish in the Lagos lagoon.
But even as the APC and Oba’s palace scrambled to
"clarify" his statement, which was published by several
print and online media (not only THISDAY), the audio and
video recordings of Akiolu’s hate speech to Igbo leaders
who had met with him at his palace Sunday had gone viral,
resulting in a social media backlash against the Oba, his
candidate, and the APC.
Akiolu’s clarification, signed by the Opeluwa of Lagos, Chief
Lateef Aderibigbe Ajose, on behalf of the palace, said: “My
attention has been drawn to a publication in a national
newspaper where HRM Oba Riliwanu Akinolu was alleged
to have threatened Igbos in Lagos to make them vote for
Ambode.
“Last Sunday, all honorary Eze Ndigbos in Lagos paid a
courtesy call to HRM Oba Akinolu. At the meeting the
visitors praised the Oba for his fatherly support for and
cooperation with Igbos in Lagos.
“They assured him of their continued good neighbourliness
with other tribes in Lagos and support everything that will
further strengthen that harmony.
“Oba Akiolu on his part acknowledged the enviable
performance of Governor Fashola and his contribution to
the growth of investment in Lagos. He gave the assurance
that he was not disturbed or angry with South-east and
South- south votes for President Jonathan as perceived by
the Eze Ndigbos.
“The Oba thereafter called on the Igbo chiefs to show
appreciation to Lagos State by supporting his candidate
Mr. Ambode for continuity of excellence as they have earlier
promised.
“He assured them of his continued support and assistance
where needed and the meeting ended with the traditional
breaking of kolas, alligator pepper, bitter kola, and pouring
of libation on the ground.
“It was within this context that the tradition of Lagos with
regard to the lagoon came up. It was noted that whoever
works against the throne and the interest and peaceful co-
existence of Lagos would end up in the lagoon as per
tradition.”
The statement added that the Lagos traditional ruler stated
further that the Igbo people had not betrayed the throne,
saying, “Lagos has also not betrayed the Igbo people.
Lagos has done so much to make the Igbos comfortable
and to prosper.
“For this, we expect reciprocal respect and understanding.
The Oba of Lagos prays that the Lagoon and the throne will
continue to bless and protect all those who reside and visit
Lagos.
“Oba Akiolu is the father of all irrespective of tribe, religion
or political persuasion. In Lagos, we have an old traditional
proverb that relates to the Lagoon.
“The Lagoon is unique to Lagos. The proverb stresses the
need for unity and understanding when you do business in
an environment and in this case when you live and do
business in Lagos.
“Oba Akiolu prays for peace for the land of Lagos and
prosperity for all its inhabitants.”
Also attempting to do some damage control was the APC
governorship candidate in Lagos State who restated his
commitment to lead a government of inclusion where every
Lagosian, irrespective of tribe or ethnicity, is carried along
in the quest to make Lagos greater.
He said this monday while receiving a donation of buses
from the Nigeria Progressive Ambassadors at an event held
at the APC party headquarters in Ogba, Lagos.
“Every group in Lagos is safe in my hands as governor. I
will not discriminate against any religious or ethnic group.
It is our Lagos and we must build it together,” Ambode
stated.
Speaking further, Ambode said: “In my acceptance speech
after the primaries, I made this note that I will be a governor
for all and Lagos is safe in my hands. I want to build on the
foundation of unity, peace and progress and development
laid by my predecessor.
“I am your best choice for a Lagos that must continue to
thrive. And though tongue and tribe may differ, we stand in
brotherhood in Lagos from the smallest ethnic groups to the
major ones. We are all stakeholders.”
However, in a sharp rebuke yesterday, the spokesman of
the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign
Organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, said the Oba’s
threat against the Igbos was “ominous and unacceptable”.
According to him, “The truth is that we (PDP supporters)
were threatened with ethnic cleansing and religious
carnage in the north had (Muhammadu) Buhari not won the
presidential election on March 28th and had President
(Goodluck) Jonathan not quickly conceded defeat.
“We let that go and kept the peace but now our traditional
supporters are being threatened in Lagos and in many other
states as we approach the April 11th governorship
elections.
“Let two things be clearly understood. In-as-much as we
all want peace in this country and in-as-much as Jonathan
has graciously and quickly conceded defeat in the
presidential election, this does not mean that we are weak
or powerless.
“Let it be clearly understood by all and sundry that any
attempt to kill, maim or molest our supporters in the north,
in the west or indeed in any other part of the country either
before, during or after Saturday's governorship elections or
any attempt at ethnic or religious cleansing by the APC,
their supporters or their friends and agents will be deemed
unacceptable and will be met with defiance, contempt and a
well-orchestrated and solid resistance.”
Fani-Kayode said the APC threats and attendant rubbish
that go with them must stop, adding: “No one is intimidated
on our side and neither do we fear for the future because
God is with us, He is faithful and He is in perfect control.
“This is an election and it is not a war so we must be
civilised, restrained, gentle and courteous in all our ways
and dealings.”
He reminded the APC that it won the presidential election
by only 2 million votes, meaning that the PDP has 12
million loyal foot soldiers and supporters in this country
and that was no mean feat.
“Those 12 million voters cannot be ignored or treated with
disdain and contempt. They must and will be respected,” he
stated.
He said that the PDP is a strong party, adding “We are
confident for the future, we are ready for anything and most
important of all we are ready for the polls on Saturday.
"We take this opportunity to urge the PDP faithful in Lagos
to go out and vote en masse for the PDP. We urge them to
vote for Jimi Agbaje and to free Lagos State from the
shackles of darkness and oppression. We urge them to
stand firm, to hold their heads up high and to do their very
best.”
Fani-Kayode also made the same pleas to PDP supporters
in Oyo, Rivers, Plateau, Imo and Kaduna States.
Similarly the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Olisa
Metuh said it was indeed most “unfortunate that a royal
father of the status of the Oba of Lagos should attempt to
drag the revered traditional institution into partisan politics
to the level of threatening innocent Nigerians with the view
to prevent them from freely exercising their constitutionally
guaranteed right”.
He added: “Our response to the Oba of Lagos is that he
cannot play God and can never be God. God owns the
universe and every part of it and can never share His glory
with any human no matter how highly placed.
“We therefore call on all Nigerians in Lagos State: all Igbos,
Hausas, Yorubas and people of other tribes; all northerners
and southerners; all Christians and Muslims to turn against
this unpatriotic stance, by coming out en masse to vote for
the PDP candidate, Mr. Jimi Agbaje on Saturday.
“Undoubtedly, this anti-Nigeria position reminds one of the
2013 inhuman and callous arrest, detention and eventual
‘deportation’ of non-indigenes by the APC-led government
of Lagos State and confirms fears that the APC is indeed on
a mission to destroy our national unity, balkanise the nation
and obliterate the personal freedom Nigerians enjoy today.”
Metuh alleged that the APC had started terrorising
supporters of the PDP with vows to make life unbearable
for them when it eventually assumes power.
“Our investigation reveals that many of our prominent
supporters have been marked. The process has already
started with threats to the life, family and business of the
Chairman of the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria
(TAN), Dr. Ifeanyi Ubah for supporting PDP candidates and
helping non-indigenes win some Lagos seats in the
National Assembly on the platform of the our great party.
“Indeed, if these threats on innocent Nigerians constitute
the picture or foretaste of the order of the day when the APC
finally assumes power at the centre, then the nation is in
serious danger.
“However, the PDP states in very unambiguous terms that
Nigerians would not accept such under any guise what so
ever.
“We therefore urge General Muhammadu Buhari as the
leader of the APC to call his members and supporters,
particularly in Lagos and Ekiti to order; especially bearing
in mind that it was the peaceful atmosphere and the level
playing field nurtured by the PDP-led administration that
created the room for his emergence at the presidential
polls,” he said.
On its part, the Igbo-bi-Nezi Congress, a socio-cultural
group in Lagos, expressed shock over the Oba’s threat
against the Igbos in the state.
In a statement signed by Chief Christopher Ihejirika,
Director General of the body, and Jonathan Agumadu,
Publicity Secretary, it said: “We at the Igbo-Bi-Nezi
Congress woke up this morning to read, with shock, in
nearly all the national dailies, a cowardly statement
credited to the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, conveying
serious threats to Igbo voters who live and work in Lagos.
“We feel thoroughly disappointed that a highly placed
traditional ruler would be so misinformed and that he had to
permit so much hatred for our people and, also to his own
subjects.
“Akinwunmi Ambode and Jimi Agbaje are both Yorubas of
Lagos State origin who are seeking popular mandate for the
number one office in the state on the platforms of APC and
PDP.
“For the benefit of those who may not have read Oba
Akiolu’s rather unfortunate threats, which adorned the front
pages and early pages of some leading national dailies
today, April 6, 2015, the utterances as published, could
steer trouble, create bad blood, and promote anarchy in his
domain.”
The group condemned in its entirety, the statement made by
the Oba of Lagos against Ndigbo. It however called on all
Ndigbo to be “law abiding, go about their lawful duties and
businesses, vote their conscience, but remain eternally
vigilant”.
It further warned that the group would hold Oba Akiola
responsible for whatever untoward that happens to Ndigbo
in Lagos State, and called on the international community
to take note, including but not limited to the International
Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague.
Also, the Catholic Church yesterday cautioned the Oba of
Lagos against inflammatory comments against Igbos living
in Lagos over the forthcoming governorship election.
Reacting to the Oba’s threat, the Caritas Nigeria and
Justice Development and Peace Commission of the Catholic
Church said the comments were derogatory, particularly
coming from a royal father.
According to the church, “We are totally shocked to read
about the threat handed down by Oba Akiolu to the Igbos in
Lagos.”
The church questioned why the Oba singled out a particular
ethnic group for his outburst? “Does it mean a Yoruba or
Hausa person living in Lagos who votes for Jimi Agbaje
will go scot free but any Igbo who votes for Agbaje will
drown in the Lagoon?
“Does it mean that people should vote out of fear and not
their consciences? Would such an election be free and fair,
where people have to vote out of intimidation? Does not the
threat of the Oba Akiolu amount to voter intimidation?” it
asked.
The church called on the Oba to withdraw his curse and
rather appeal to the people, for indeed, “such a threat may
amount to playing God and God who is a merciful father
will not allow his children to die so senselessly just
because they were fulfilling the dictates of their
conscience”.
In another reaction, an Igbo group, Igbo Professionals
Lagos (IPL), described as unacceptable, regrettable and
unfortunate comments credited to the Oba of Lagos.
IPL, in a statement yesterday by its Convener, Mazi Chigo
Ukatah, said: “This insult on the Igbo is getting out of hand.
We're shocked to read the vituperations ascribed to an
ordinarily royal father who in the first instance should be
apolitical and a father to all.
“We’re further confounded that the Oba of Lagos, who
should know the meaning of democracy has gone above
board to declare what we consider should engulf the nation
in yet another civil war.
“Yourubas and Igbos have been living harmoniously
together but this callous, unguarded statement of a 'father
for all'' has shown the type of father he is.
“We state unequivocally, that the Igbos who are
industrious, law-abiding citizens of Lagos State will not
constitute nuisance to the law but would not be pushed to
the wall by anybody.”
Joining others to condemn the Oba’s threat against the
Igbos in Lagos were civil rights society groups and former
Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Chief Bode George,
who criticised the monarch for his unsavoury statement.
George said the traditional ruler owes the Igbo people an
apology, because with the esteemed position he occupies,
he should not have been partisan.
“I’m advising him to back down and apologise to the Igbos
in Lagos. Nobody can threaten them. This is uncalled for.
Let me assure all non-indigenes, especially the Igbos,
nobody can decree the day you will die. It is just an empty
threat.
“So I’m calling on the non-indigenes, particularly Igbos, to
come out en-mass and vote for the PDP in the April 11
governorship and state assembly elections,” George urged.
In the same vein, leaders of notable Yoruba socio-political
groups: the National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Mr.
Yinka Odumakin; Razaq Oladosu (Oodua Democratic
Coalition); Segun Aka-Bashorun (Project Change Nigeria);
Kolawole Onifade (Oodua Nation in Diaspora); Francis
Abayomi (Yoruba Think-Tank); Makanjuola Muhammed
(Oodua Youth Congress); Ambassador Kunle Adeshokan
(Federation of Yoruba Consciousness and Culture); Alhaji
Tunde Abioye (Yoruba Soveriegn Defense Agenda); and
Kola Are of the United Self-determination Platform of
Oodua, all disagreed with the Oba’s astatement.
According to Odumakin, who addressed journalists at his
Otedola Estate office, “If he (Oba Akiolu) denies the
statement in which he was extensively quoted, it means the
reporter who wrote the story qualifies as the greatest
fabricator in the Guinness Book of Records. We doubt his
denials. We see it as damage control tactics.
“His actions and statements have been very crude,
indecent, un-royal and it is un-Yoruba in every way. We
are waiting for the media organisations that published the
story to stand by what they have published.” He urged all
Igbo residents in Lagos to vote according to the dictates of
their conscience.”
However, a Lagos-based tourism expert and an indigene of
Abia State, Mr. Charles Ukomadu, in another statement,
called on his kinsmen to ensure that they do not make
enemies with the political class in the state over frictions
that are traceable to politics.
“Very soon, politics will be over and we will continue our
businesses here in Lagos. So it is best that we are not seen
as a problem to any of the parties ahead of the elections.
“But I will also want us to remember that the APC, which
has been at the helms of affairs in Lagos has not been
discriminatory against our people,” he said.
Preceding the reaction by various groups, were the
comments on the social media where the Oba’s statement
generated a major backlash for him and the APC.
Expectedly, his remarks generated a huge controversy,
pitting Igbos against the Yorubas, with a majority
condemning the statement on the social media.
One Yemi Adebowale said: “Now that Oba Akiolu has
choose (sic) to play God over the people of Lagos state, he
has forgotten Pharaoh, Herod, Nebuchadnezzar, etc.
“I hope he will be ready to compete with God almighty
himself who has the power to make kings and dethrone
them too. This is a big disgrace from a monarch.”
One Uko Francis replied: “And on this note, I hereby call on
all Igbos, Ijaws, Ibibios, Aniomas, Igbirras, Tivs, Idomas,
Binis, and all non-haters of true democracy to vote for Jimi
Agbaje, so that we can truly show he is a bastard indeed.”
Taking offence at Uko’s choice of language, one Akomolafe
Akolade said: “Omo ale ni e o Francis (meaning you are a
bastard Francis). You are calling a first class Oba in
Nigeria a bastard? Highly disappointed in you no matter
how rational your sentences are.
“Can you call your father a bastard or has he been always
right in all of his decisions? Please refrain from comments
like this for your own sake.”
There were still some like Otito Dara who expressed
disbelief that a highly placed traditional ruler could have
made such a statement.
His comment read: “The Oba of Lagos could not have said
this, I don't think a highly revered Oba could have said this.
Yorubas are not ethnic haters and as such this report
should be dismissed.”
Another who simply identified himself as Shola Holdings
said: “We should thank him. He only helped Jimi Agbaje.
No true son of Lagos/Yoruba land will be happy with a
paramount ruler who stoops this low.”
Another commenter called the Masked One said: “The Oba
has unwittingly shot himself in the foot for I foresee a
protest vote against his candidate Ambode.
“His unguarded utterance only goes on to prove that there
is more to the contest for who owns Lagos than meets the
eye.
“Thank God the ICC chiefs are still in Nigeria and this
irresponsible outburst from Emperor Akiolu will not escape
their attention.”
Also, former Minister of Education, Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili, in
her reaction to the “clarification” provided by the palace on
behalf of the Oba, said that the statement merely raised
more questions instead of clarifying issues.
“That rebuttal just released from the palace of the Oba of
Lagos does not persuade at all. That clarification rather
raises more questions.
“The Oba should personally calm all anxieties by speaking
openly and directly to this saga. His message is lost in
transmission for now.
“Shame on anyone responding based on ethnic/political
sentiments to beat down scrutiny of the Oba of Lagos saga.
We must be collective in values.
“Can the Palace officially provide clips of the meeting
between the Oba of Lagos and Ndi Igbo? Surely those
ubiquitous IT recordings of events can be found," she said.
Many others who shared her sentiments were also quite
vocal on the issue, pointing out that the Oba skirted around
the issue.
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