His Royal Majesty (HRM) Oba Rilwan Akiolu, the Oba of Lagos, in a video clip made available to us threatened Ndi Igbo who are resident in Lagos, with a curse to perish, should they not vote for his All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate for Governor. He delivered this message through a group of Eze-Ndigbo summoned to his palace on Sunday April 5, 2015. The Oba said:
œOn Saturday, if anyone of you goes against Ambode, who I picked, that is your end. If it does not happen within seven days, just know that I am a bastard and it is not my father who gave birth to me.
œBy the grace of God, I am the owner of Lagos for the time being. On Saturday, if anyone of you, I swear in the name of God, goes against my wish that Ambode will be the next governor of Lagos State, the person is going to die inside this water.
œFor the Igbo and others in Lagos, they should go where the Oba of Lagos heads to. When they were coming to the State, they did not come with all their houses. But now, they have properties in the State. So they must do my bidding. And that is the bidding of the ancestors of Lagos and God.
œI am not ready to beg you. Nobody knew how I picked Ambode. Jimi is my blood relation and I told him that he could never be governor in Lagos for now. I am not begging anybody, but what you people cannot do in Onitsha, Aba or anywhere you cannot do it here.
As a matter of policy, our organization does not engage in or respond to incendiary diatribes, unless as in this case, the issue at hand has the potential to threaten the peace and security of our nation, and derail our nascent democratic experiment.
From Oba Akioluutterances, it is clear that he demonstrates ignorance, arrogance, and a messianic complex. As such, he is a disgrace to the people of Lagos state — indigenes and non-indigenes alike, who deserve much better.
While our intention is neither to take sides, nor to give the Oba a history lesson; we must draw the attention of his Majesty to the fact that non-indigenes, including Ndi Igbo, have contributed significantly to the building and sustenance of every human endeavor in Lagos for more than 100 years; and that the Igbo on various platforms, such as the Eastern Mandate Union (EMU), World Igbo Council, National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), Joint Action Committee of Nigeria (JACON), National Liberation Council of Nigeria (NALICON), Nigerian Democratic Awareness Committee (NDAC), and others sacrificed to restore the late MKO Abiolaill-fated mandate, and subsequently facilitated the establishment of our current democracy, of which the APC government in Lagos state is a beneficiary.
For Oba Akiolu to threaten any Nigerian for exercising their hard won democratic rights is unconscionable and unacceptable. We hereby strongly condemn his utterances and threat.
The Obasubsequent attempt to retract his idiotic comments was patronizing, condescending and without redemption.
In his attempted retraction, Oba Akiolu said œ¦.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¦
This sounds like a man who lacks appropriate understanding, and feels entitled. Whether Oba Akiolu likes it or not, a sizeable number of Ndi Igbo in Lagos are indigenes. Some were born in Lagos, have always lived, worked, and paid taxes in Lagos, and do not need the Oba to tell them how to vote.
It is also quite distressing to witness the convenience with which the Igbo is punitively targeted in parts of the country, when sectional interests appear threatened. This must stop. We must reaffirm that our fight to institute democracy was not parochial, sectional or ethnic. Thus, any attempt to make it so by Oba Akiolu and his ilk will be resisted, with every fiber of our being.
We therefore call on the APC governorship candidate Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, Governor Babatunde Fashola, former Governor (Sen) Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President-elect Ret. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, APC Governors and leadership across the country to immediately and publicly dissociate themselves from Oba Akioluunfortunate comments, in order to avoid having the APC forever tarred and perceived as an intolerant, ethnic political party that does not embrace the true concept of democracy.
We urge Ndi Igbo and all peace loving Nigerians to remain resolute and determined in the face of this unprovoked assault on your rights, to unanimously condemn Oba Akioluutterances, and to massively turn out at the polls on April 11, and bravely cast away bigotry, intolerance and barefaced tribal politics with your votes.
Long live a united Nigeria!
Signed:
Dr. Daniel Udia, Executive Director
Dr (Mrs) Brigit Edevor, Executive Secretary
Mr. David Azinge, Regional Director, Europe
Prof. Uzoma Njoku, Regional Director, Asia
Prof. Eddie Oparaoji, Regional Director, The Americas
Dr. Seyi Leggon, Regional Director, Africa and the Middle East
Contact: Dr. Daniel Udia; d3net2000@gmail.com