Politics
APEX Igbo Sociocultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has condemned what it described as “voter Intimidation” in Lagos State by some traditional rulers.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo made the remark while reacting to the comment credited to a traditional ruler in the state.
JOURNALIST101 recalls that the Baale of Igbara community, Jakande, in Eti-Osa LGA of Lagos State in a leaked audio while addressing his cabinet on Monday, January 30, 2023, said that “only residents who have their Permanent Voter Cards, PVC and are ready to vote for the All Peoples Congress (APC) would be allowed to do business with them in the community.
“We are ready to fight; yes, I am not hiding it; I have narrated everything to you. In Nigeria, there is Lagos; in Lagos, there is Eti-Osa; within Eti-Osa, we have Igbara community and by the grace of God in Igbara today, we can take our decision. The Baale went on to say: “You want to vote for PDP or Labour Party? Not here”…among others.
Dr. Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia, National Publicity Secretary, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide in a statement issued on Monday, “calls on the Presidential candidate of the APC, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, security agencies and indeed the lovers of democracy in Nigeria, to caution the Baale for such unreflective, provocative, incendiary and inflammatory remarks by a Baale in Lagos State.
Going down memory lane, Ogbonnia recalls that: “In April 2015, the Oba of Lagos, His Majesty Rilwan Akiolu was quoted to have threatened the Igbo living in Lagos that ‘anyone that fails to vote for the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), would perish in the lagoon’. Although His Majesty was able to restore the Igbo confidence in him when the late Ambassador George Obiozor, the former President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide led an Igbo delegation to pay him a visit with respect to one spurious and frivolous allegation against the Igbo in Lagos State, yet the remark by His Majesty is to say the least, most unwarranted.
“Although the Public Relations Officer of the Lagos State Police Command, Mr. Benjamin Hundeyin is quoted to have stated that ‘the traditional ruler will be invited for questioning.’ And that ‘everyone should feel free to vote for the candidate of his or her choice.’ Ohanaeze calls on the Presidential candidate of the APC, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, security agencies and indeed the lovers of democracy in Nigeria, to caution the Baale for such unreflective, provocative, incendiary and inflammatory remarks by a Baale in Lagos State. The Baale should be made to understand that Nigeria has gone beyond such careless and inciting rhetoric as: “We are ready to fight; yes, I am not hiding it…” And that the Baale and his cohorts may know why the fight will begin but will surely not know how, where, when and in whose favour the fight will end. In other decent climes, the said Baale should be arrested and detained until the election is over. This will serve as a deterrent to some other ethnic chauvinists, crises entrepreneurs, hoodlums and low opportunists.
“A few days ago, hoodlums in Lagos State attacked supporters of the Labour part y said to be on their way to Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) — the venue of the party’s presidential campaign rally. “The hoodlums were said to have targeted the supporters to prevent them from attending the Labour Party rally. Some of the supporters had their clothing torn to shreds, while others sustained various degrees of injury during the incident. The report further indicates that lives were lost. This is one of the outcome of the Baale incantations.
“Most recently, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Lagos State, Mr. Segun Agbaje stated that the reason the Igbo in Lagos cannot have their PVC is that they are from the South East part of the country, inferring that they are immigrants; in what Dr. Bolaji O Akinyemi criticized as a “Conspiracy against Democracy: INEC REC; Segun Agbaje’s Outburst, Other Matters Arising” and thus accused the INEC REC of being complicit in a plan to disenfranchise the Igbo in Lagos. The erudite Akinyemi asked: “How can the head of the umpire be the echo of the unreasonable voice of street touts against the Igbo. In Segun Agbaje’s mindset the Igbo aren’t citizens of Nigeria in Lagos, but immigrants who must be denied access to rights of citizens in Lagos. Segun has joined force with market touts and Area boys demanding that Alaba traders should return to Onitsha”.
“The Secretary General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Ambassador Okey Emuchay, MFR expresses disappointment that some people would descend so low at this level of our national development. One would expect that soliciting votes in a democracy requires the greatest public relations skill such as persuasion, entreaties, lobbying and the likes. Nigerians are informed that there is this spirit that emboldens and stirs the passion, soul, and tigritude of the average Igbo, which once it is sufficiently provoked, becomes irrepressible. For instance, the first major freedom march in America’s history was by the Igbo. Known as the Igbo Landing, the Igbo slaves in 1803 chose to die than live a life of misery and slavery. They took control of the ship conveying them from a Spanish captain, Joseph Cinqué and drowned everybody including the captain at Dunbar Creek on St. Simons Island, Glynn County, Georgia, USA. In other words, self-esteem, achievement motivation, resourcefulness, hard work, forthrightness, tenacity, friendliness and cosmopolitanism are the hallmarks of the Igbo persona, but to threaten the Igbo is to embolden them to the contrary. Intimidation is not only antithetical to democratic norms but a source of allergy to the natural Igbo reflexes.
“In spite of all the orchestrated conspiracy, machinations and deprivations against the Igbo, and now the Labour Party and Mr Peter Obi, the initiated will easily realize that there is a mystic wind blowing across the land; a wind that does not recognize the rigid human barriers of ethnicity, religion, gender, class or creed; a wind of redemption from poverty, corruption, inequity and other pathologies that have held Nigeria down for several decades; a cosmic wind that attracts the virtuous as it overwhelms the vicious. In the words of the sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo of the blessed memory, “only the deep can call to the deep”.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo therefore urges the Igbo in Lagos and indeed everywhere to ignore all forms of retrogressive subversive shenanigans and stand up for your rights.”
Text excluding headline from JOURNALIST101
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Tags: Ambassador Okey Emuchay Dr. Bolaji O Akinyemi Dr. Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia INEC Mr Peter Obi Ohanaeze Ndigbo Segun Agbaje
