Opinion
BOLAJI Akinyemi, a social critic, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari, to investigate Bola Tinubu, president-elect, for hate speech that resulted in attack against Igbo during the general election in Nigeria on February 25 and March 11.
Realnews reports that the All Progressive Congress, APC, political thugs unleashed violence on Igbo, preventing them and those who look like them from voting in Lagos.
Akinyemi made the call in a letter to President Buhari dated Sunday, March 26, and copied to the Attorney General of the Federation,
Federal Ministry of Justice, Abuja, Inspector General of Police, Nigeria Police Force,Force Headquarters, Abuja, Director General, State Security Services, State Security Services Headquarters, Abuja, and Director General,
National Drug Law Enforcement Agency( NDLEA), Abuja,
The letter is entitled: PETITION AGAINST MR. BOLA AHMED TINUBU FOR MAKING INCENDIARY COMMENTS AND HATE SPEECH BREEDING YORUBA SUPREMACISTS AND CAUSING TRIBAL ATTACK AGAINST IGBOS IN LAGOS AND ACROSS NIGERIA.
The full letter reads: “I write this petition with the full realization that with the recent general elections like ours that allegedly became a tribal war against a particular tribe, there is need to conduct post-mortem investigation and put on trial those directly responsible and those who incited and sponsored such verbal and physical attacks, especially in Lagos State to discourage this pattern in future elections.
“The Presidential election of February 25th, 2023 generously described by “The Economist” as chaotic, has further increased the negative perception of the world about our dear country to which belong our loyalty.
“A newspaper columnist, Lasisi Olagunju, collated the world views about us informed by the lack of organization of the umpire INEC, disappointing compromise of law enforcement agencies and unfortunate hijack of the process by non-state actors:
“The world is not pleased with our ways, and we could read it clearly in how the global press described what we did with ourselves last week.
” The Economist said a “chaotically organized vote and messy count” gave Nigeria a new president.
The Financial Times said in an editorial comment that our Presidential election was “deeply flawed” and the winner “a wealthy political fixer.”
The Guardian of U.K. described the winner as “an immensely wealthy veteran powerbroker trailed by corruption allegations which he denies.”
“The New York Times described him as “a divisive figure in Nigerian politics.” Robert Rotberg; founding Director of the Harvard Kennedy School’s Programme on intrastate conflict, wrote an opinion for Canada’s influential Globe and Mail; its headline: “Bola Tinubu’s election is another triumph for Nigeria’s corrupt old guard.” The Times of London was the most disrespectful. It used this very bad phrase: “a wealthy kleptocratic ‘godfather’ of politics” to describe the person who will replace our very clean Buhari on May 29, 2023.
“As bad as those characterizations are, they are not as damaging as the Financial Times’ revelation that it personally “witnessed armed men remove a presidential ballot box in Surulere, Lagos” on Election Day.
“The CNN last Friday played back a part of Bola Tinubu’s acceptance speech where he described what he got as “a serious mandate.” A CNN anchor then asked if it “was really a mandate” with less than 10 percent of the registered voters behind it. He must be wondering what kind of people these are? The CNN and that anchor were not the only ones bemused by our electoral culture, our elections and their outcomes. One of Germany’s largest newspapers, Sueddeutsche Zietung, had unflattering words for the winner; it also queried the legitimacy of a mandate that was spurned by 90 per cent of the voting population. Aljazeera ran a Special Report on how the election was disrupted in Lagos last Saturday. The headline is: ‘How violence robs Nigerians of their votes.’ The Washington Post quoted Matthew Page, Associate Fellow with Chatham House’s Africa Program, as accusing INEC of making both deliberate and unintentional mistakes: “They raised the hopes about the election and its transparency, and then they dashed them. When the opposition says the process was broken, it’s hard to argue with them.” Foreign election observers from the US International Republican Institute (IRI) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) summed up their opinion of the election as falling “well short of Nigerian citizens’ legitimate and reasonable expectations.”
“Lagunju went further, “I have spent the past five days reading informed commentaries and listening to credible voices. I have not seen, read nor heard a single positive review of the election in any credible media in any country of the world. I have been around long enough to conclude that Tinubu’s 2023 mandate is rivaled in content, texture and review probably only by Shehu Shagari’s Verdict ’83 mandate”.
“This was the justification for military intervention that brought you into power as military head of state. Sir, If you do not want the military back to power any time soon, you have to respond to the yearning of the 90% majority disenfranchised who are not captured within the less than 10% voters INEC claimed voted for Asiwaju. A rerun of the election will save your integrity as our President, and help repair our badly damaged image as a nation.
“If 25th of February was chaotic, the 18th of March election was living in hell across Lagos for the terror unleashed on citizens.
“Please, be reminded that the New York Times described Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as “a divisive figure in Nigeria politics”. Are they privy to intelligence that your office is not? I doubt it! Sir, I do understand that your hands are tied, but you must loose them for posterity’s sake and do what is right. Bola Ahmed Tinubu has never hidden his hatred for the Igbos. I want you to call to mind the unfortunate event of Funke Olakunrin the daughter of the leader of Afenifere who was murdered by criminal elements. During his visit to the father of the deceased, Asiwaju made an uncomplimentary remark which in summary pointed to the Igbo as the tribe behind the act, but as it turned out, the criminal elements were men from another tribe. It is grossly irresponsible of any leader to attempt to tribalize crime. This is what the Fulanis have suffered since 2015 when you a respectable Fulani became the President, if you weren’t a strong willed upright person, his comment was enough to let go of the criminals. As we all know, crime has no tribe, without your interference, the criminals are facing justice. Those with tendency to tribalize crime should have no place in leadership. It is not on record that Asiwaju was remorseful for wrongly accusing the Igbo for a crime not committed by one of them, neither is there any apology in the public from him to this effect.
“Sir, recall that after Asiwaju made this statement, a Lagos Prince known online as Adeyinka Grandson, based in the UK became known for Yoruba Supremacy Ideology and began running hate speech against the Igbos, till he was arrested by a Team, led by the Scotland Yard Counter Terrorism Command for stirring racial discrimination and encouraging terrorism, an offense for he was tried and found guilty and he is currently serving a four year sentence.
“Asiwaju’s unrepentant penchant for unhealthy rhetorics about the Igbo is largely responsible for reported suppression, oppression, attacks and killings suffered by persons believed to be Igbos on Saturday 18th March 2023, evidences abound of persons who are not Igbos but suffered the same fate as Igbos for “resembling” the Igbos. The silence of the Executive Governor of Lagos on what I would call the progom against the Igbos by political appointees of his government like Musiliu Akinsanya popularly known as MC Oluomo. The roles of Baales and Obas of Communities who are answerable to the commission of Chieftaincy Affairs is proof of alleged state sponsored terror against the Igbos in Lagos.
“Your Excellency, knowing the pain of war to which the country was subjected between 1966 and 1970, for which you wear today a medal of honour as a national hero, will you overlook this obvious sign of another civil war for which a “Pesident to be” and the incumbent Governor of Lagos is already culpable? Sir, imagine the fate of the Igbos in Lagos under a President and a Governor holding dearly Yoruba Supremacy Ideology in a multi-ethnic and divers nation like ours!
“You can not afford to overlook a crime against humanity for any reason. This privilege is given to you before other options (international) to seek justice will be considered. Is Asiwaju above the law? I don’t think so! Should a man with so much of embarrassing allegations not be cleared before the privilege of Presidential Immunity will be bestowed on him?
“Sir, for Asiwaju’s performance as Governor of Lagos between 1999 and 2007, I will depend on Festus Keyamo’s assessment of his government in this regard:
“…to me, the real meaning of government should be about bringing succour to those you govern. Aside from that, democracy and government is meaningless. I cannot imagine a situation where the military government gave more succour in Lagos state to workers than even Tinubu’s Administration. Tinubu regime has been the worst for the workers in the last two decades.”
(In his interview with Times Magazine).
“Mr President Sir, your campaign train in 2015 threaded on two wheels viz personal uprightness and integrity of heart to duty. This is the month of Ramadan when every Muslim must seek to do only that which is right before Allah, this of course is the last you will observe in the privileged position of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The destiny of more than 200 million people hangs on you this holy month of Ramadan.
“Sir, I personally believe the reason you were created and given to us as our President at this season is to bring to reality the plan of God for Nigeria. A plan long spoken by Pa Sydney Granville Elton, a Briton who arrived Nigeria in early 1930 who died a Nigerian and was buried in Ilesha, Osun State, SouthWest Nigeria. Who in 1986 said, “Nigeria and Nigerians will be known all over the world for corruption. Your name – Nigeria will stink for corruption but after a while a new phase will come, a phase of righteousness. People from the nations of the earth will hold a Nigerian and say “we want to follow you to your nation to go and learn righteousness”.
“Sir, holding unto you now are 200 million people crying in hope that you will teach us to do right, no matter who is involved, that we may learn from you what to teach other nations.
“Asiwaju Bola Ahmed’s hate speech against the Igbos at the visit to Pa Fasoranti is enough a ground to order his immediate arrest by the Inspector General of Police and Director General of the State Security Services with prosecution by the Attorney General of the Federation .
“This letter became necessary in the face of gross irresponsibility displayed by men of the Nigeria Police who became spokespersons for one Musiliu Akinsanya, ” MC Oluomo”, an hireling of Asiwaju who in the presence of a police made similar statements for which Adeyinka Grandson is serving Jail term in UK. But, the Nigeria Police as an institution that should arrest him turned around to say he was joking over what we will later experience as not just a threat but a war on the gloomy Saturday.
“Sir, while the WORLD is waiting to know the extent of Asiwaju’s involvement in a narcotics trafficking offence dating back to 1992 committed in the state of Chicago in USA in which the subpoena has been filed for the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) of the United States to testify in an election petition filed by Mr Peter Obi, the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party. It is important that the state adequately protects the Petitioner herein against the drug cartel pattern of attack driven by tribal supremacy ideology that Lagos state is presently witnessing.
“May I also request for security protection for me and my family.
“Your Excellency, you once opined that the rule of law must be subjected to the supremacy of national security and interest, for which a lot of persons including myself differ from you, not with the spirit of your position but rather the letters of it.
“Sir, there is no point pretending Tinubu, MC Oluomo and his foot soldiers employed by Babajide Sanwo-Olu under the guise of Lagos State Park Management Agency have become a threat to National Security.
May I inform you that the need to give the spirit of your position on national security supremacy the letters to run with within the ambit of the rule of law is the reason for writing you and making the following recommendations:
Immediate sacking of Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the INEC Chairman and appointment of another.
“Asiwaju must be put under house arrest same way you have with Mazi Namdi Kanu, till due diligence is done and clearance from the narcotic offence is gotten, as it must never be heard of, that any one with tainted character is given the leadership of the most populous black nation in the world. This no doubt will affect the global fight against drug peddling and narcotic trafficking for which Lagos State of recent has become home for world record breaking volumes of drugs never seen before.
“In the circumstance, I submit this petition in my personal capacity as a patriotic Nigerian to invite/arrest, interrogate and after investigation, if necessary, charge the individuals connected to the racial discrimination and terrorism witnessed in Lagos state to court for their conduct which led to incitement and progom against humanity.
“Yours in hope of a better and greater Nigeria.”
KN
Tags: Bolaji Akinyemi President Muhammadu Buhari
