Determined to calm the anger and umbrage arising from the inflammatory vote for APC or perish remarks by the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, to the Igbos resident in Lagos State, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state yesterday tendered an apology and urged them to ignore the threat by the Oba, Thisday reports.
The party’s apology came just as President Goodluck Jonathan, in a statement by his spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati, warned against what he described as “negative triumphalism” and comments that are capable of inciting sections of the polity against each other.
The state APC Publicity Secretary, Mr. Joe Igbokwe, in a press statement said the party sincerely apologises to Ndigbo and pleaded with them to bury the hatchet in the interest of peace and harmony.
Underscoring the point that Lagosians and Igbos have enjoyed long standing relationship over the years, Igbokwe noted that: “No human being is above mistakes. People can make mistakes and correct it thereafter. The Oba of Lagos can make a mistake and we believe that the statement credited to him was a mistake. If to err is human, we plead with Ndigbo to let the sleeping dog lie.
“After the March 28, 2015 presidential election, Ndigbo in Lagos have been trooping into the Lagos APC fold in droves. They have pledged to throw their full weight behind the APC gubernatorial candidate, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode. The support was total and unprecedented. You can therefore imagine how we feel as a party when this incident came just a few days to the governorship election.
“Oba Rilwan Akiolu of Lagos is not a card-carrying member of APC. He is not a leader in APC. He does not speak for APC. He did not speak for Governor Fashola of Lagos State. He did not speak for our national leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He did not speak for the incoming governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode. His Royal Highness is at liberty to speak for himself and he spoke for himself only. Lagos APC appeals to Ndigbo not to take the statement as the position of the party in Lagos.”
According to him, the APC “passionately appeal to Ndigbo not to carry the statement credited to Oba Akiolu too far so as not to put a knife on things that have held us together for more than 50 years now. If out of annoyance you throw your cap away, a mad man will take it and use it forever”.
“A lot is at stake in Lagos. Lagos has been fair to Ndigbo and Ndigbo have reciprocated by taking Lagos as their home no matter whose ox is gored. Lagos APC believes that Ndigbo will not burn the bridges because of this minor setback.
“Lagos APC has worked so hard with other Nigerians to enthrone a government at the centre and we cannot afford to throw all these gains away by allowing the mistakes of the last weekend to stand on our way to link Lagos effectively with the centre. Our own Oba Rilwan Akiolu’s slip of tongue should not be used as an excuse by Ndigbo to reverse these huge gains. Ndigbo should forgive and forget by voting APC en mass this coming Saturday,” he said.
In the same vein, the state chairman of the party, Chief Oladele Ajomale, noted that his party still enjoys solidarity and mutual goodwill with Igbos in Lagos State.
The APC chieftain, who was speaking against the background of the acrimony generated by the Oba’s last weekend statement, said while the monarch has the right to speak on any matter that concerns his domain, he did not speak the mind of the APC.
“We, as a party hold the Olowo-Eko, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, in high esteem. But, any statement purportedly made by the royal father was made in his capacity as the traditional ruler of Lagos, and not on behalf of our party, although we assume that he may have been quoted out of context.
“It is mischievous for unscrupulous elements to now twist the remarks of the Oba which he has immediately clarified in the media, in a way to erroneously convey the wrong and misguided impression that he spoke for our great party,” Ajomale said.
But despite the appeal and clarifications by the APC, the Lagos chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has demanded the immediate suspension of Oba Akiolu till after the governorship and state House of Assembly elections in the country, SCHEDULED
to hold on Saturday.
The party called on Governor Babatunde Fashola to suspend the monarch, stressing that this was necessary in order to guarantee free, fair and credible elections in the state.
In a statement issued yesterday by Lagos PDP Publicity Secretary, Mr. Taofik Gani, the party stated that it had also alerted the security agencies to hold the monarch responsible for any attack on non-indigenes or PDP members in the state.
According to the PDP, Fashola’s silence after Akiolu’s inflammatory statement and threat to life suggests that the monarch acted on behalf of the state government and accused him of being complicit.
“The governor is thus a conspirator in this threat to life and must also be held accountable for any violence in this election. We have at this point been vindicated about the desperation of the APC to retain Lagos State at all cost including the All Progressives Congress’ plan not to concede the imminent defeat on April 11,” it said.
Irrespective of the threat to their lives, PDP urged Lagos non-indigenes and others to be part of Saturday’s voting exercise.
Also, the president urged all Nigerians “to remain peaceful, united and law-abiding” during and after the April 11 governorship and House of Assembly polls, while condemning incendiary remarks by politicians and their supporters.
According to the statement by Abati, “The president condemns the very unseemly attempt by some politicians, groups and individuals to intimidate others, heat up the polity and cause public disorder and disaffection in the aftermath of the Presidential and National Assembly elections.
“President Jonathan is especially concerned about the negative triumphalism that has been put on display by certain elements since March 31 which flies in the face of his personal commitment to post-election peace, unity and national stability.
“The President calls on all those, who through their actions and utterances, have been promoting divisiveness, sectionalism and ethnic hatred in the country following the outcome of the March 28 elections to cease and desist from actions that detract from the true spirit and culture of democracy envisioned by patriotic men and women of goodwill in Nigeria.
“President Jonathan also condemns the undue harassment of public officials serving under his administration and urges all affected persons to continue to perform their lawful duties without fear,” the statement said.
The president also advised that “this should be a time for the healing of political wounds in the overriding interest of national unity, stability and progress, not a time for ethnic jingoism and the settling of scores”.
“The federal government will not condone any attempt to instigate a crisis in any part of the country in furtherance of personal political ambitions,” it stated.
Also condemning the monarch’s comment, Lagos LAWYER, Mr. Femi Falana, said the remarks credited to the king were completely unacceptable, and urged him to apologise to the Igbos, as his said comments should not be condoned in a decent society.
“It is totally unacceptable as it is a mockery of the political objective of national integration. It is illegal as it clearly offends section 42 of the Constitution which has prohibited discrimination on grounds of ethnicity, religion, political opinion, creed or sex. Although the Oba lacks the power to cause anyone to ‘die in the Lagoon within seven days’ the threat constitutes a violation of the fundamental right of thousands of citizens to life.
“In the case of Director-General of State Security Service v Olisa Agbakoba (1999) 3 N.W.L.R (PT 595) 314, it was held by the Supreme Court that ‘it is not in dispute that the Constitution gives every Nigerian citizen the right to move throughout Nigeria and to reside in any part thereof. It also guarantees to the citizen the right not to be expelled from Nigeria nor be refused entry or exit therefrom’. Since the residency right of every citizen is constitutionally guaranteed, the Igbo people in Lagos should discountenance the threat of Oba Akiolu.
“It is pertinent to remind the Oba that Lagos has continued to provide accommodation for Nigerians from all walks of life. Hence, after the civil war, there was no case of ‘abandoned properties’ in Lagos. From time to time, armed militants and other misguided youths who unleash mindless violence on ‘non indigenes’ have always been called to order by the Government and the people of Lagos State. Indeed, the human-rights community has always kicked against discriminatory policies and ensured that all victims of human rights abuse are defended and protected regardless of their ethnic identity.
“As a senior lawyer, Oba Akiolu ought to have realised that the Electoral Act has not conferred powers on any traditional ruler or any other authority to sanction anyone for voting for a candidate of his or her choice in any election conducted in Nigeria.
“After all, before the just concluded presidential election, the Oba adduced reasons why he could not endorse the presidential candidate of the APC, General Mohammadu Buhari (rtd.). He was not harassed or intimidated for exercising his freedom of choice. Since the Electoral Act, 2010 as amended has banned any form of hate campaign, the Oba is advised to withdraw the threat credited to him and apologise publicly to the Igbo people without any delay,” Falana said.
But beyond the condemnation of the monarch’s threats, a senior lawyer, Mr. Mike Okoye stated yesterday that he has forwarded a petition to the International Criminal Court (ICC) demanding the immediate arrest and prosecution of Oba Akiolu.
Also forwarded in the petition by Okoye to the Information and Evidence Unit, Office of the Prosecutor, at The Hague under Article15 of the Rome Statute, is the recorded video footage showing a visibly angry Oba Akiolu, making the unconcealed venomous threats with death in the lagoon to Igbos on Sunday, if they failed to vote for Ambode.
Okoye urged the Ndigbo in Lagos to be law abiding while they await the international warrant of arrest to be issued against the monarch.
Similarly, in a veiled reference to the monarch’s hate speech, the Director of Department of State Service (DSS) has warned against unguarded statements that could inflame ethnic sentiments in the country.
In a statement by PR Nigeria, the DSS said: “We want to warn those stoking these embers of violence and disunity to desist, as this will not be tolerated. We should all strive to strengthen our nascent democracy as we work towards building a better Nigeria.”
Meanwhile, the Igbo cultural group, Aka Ikenga, in a press statement made available to THISDAY, “condemns in its entirety the statement credited to the highly respected Oba of Lagos threatening all Ndigbo’s resident in Lagos to vote for only a particular candidate in the governorship and state assembly elections.
“It is mind-boggling that Ndigbo are threatened with a consequence if they disobey. It is a known fact that we seek a free and fair election. At what point were Yoruba and Hausa Fulani people threatened for their votes?”
According to the group’s president, Chief Goddy Uwazurike, “We have waited for a retraction of this statement in vain but we have stated it repeatedly that people should vote according to their conscience without any fear or favour.
“Freedom of choice is an inherent right and nobody can take it away from Ndigbo. For the avoidance of doubt, threat to one Igbo man is a threat to us all. We shall do our civic duty as directed by INEC and the security agencies to whom we have copied this press release.”
But in a bid to douse the growing tension, the Eze Ndigbo of Lagos, Chief Christian Nwachukwu, who addressed a news conference in FESTAC Town on behalf of the council, called on all Igbo indigenes to turn out massively to vote for the APC candidate Ambode in Saturday’s election.
Nwachukwu thereby urged the Igbo community in the state to vote for him to allow for continuity and excellence, which the state’s former governor, Bola Tinubu, had started and the incumbent governor, Fashola, had been able to build on in the last 16 years.
He said: “We endorse Ambode as governor of Lagos State. Our being here is to assure our sons and daughters and ask them to vote for Ambode massively. You have been doing it since 1999 and this time will not be an exception. We have maintained this relationship for many years and we must ensure that it continues.
“The monarch simply wants the Igbos to show their love and it is only by voting for Ambode that we can show that love and have hope. A vote against Ambode is a wasted vote. Let us join hands together and ensure that Ambode wins.”
Also in an effort to downplay the effect of the speech, the founder of the Lagos Business School (LBS), Prof Pat Utomi, who while defending the Oba, said the speech was made in jest.
Tweeting from @PatUtomi he wrote: “Have known Oba Akiolu for 20yrs. He says worse to me every time we see but I have no doubt he is fond of me. How do you tell outsiders so?
“The arena of politics slippery slope. The remarks by the Oba of Lagos are inappropriate but all who know him know he talks so in jest.
“Typical of Oba as he sees me: Pat go return our land where you built that Lagos Business School. I respond; hold Asiwaju who signed C of O.”
With the controversy his tweets generated, he tried to explain further by writing, “It may interest you that a group led by a ceo from South East And leading Lagosian left my home at 10am to the Oba to protest.”
Right at the heels of his tweets was a former Minister of Education, Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili, who wrote: “There is no way to trivialise Oba Akiolu’s credible threatening of his Igbo friends as a joke, please. That would be a joke taken too far.
“I am as proud to be Igbo as I am to be Nigerian. Born in Lagos–in fact in the domain of the Oba of Lagos. Those his words stung and still do.”
One Blossom Nnodim wrote: “Sir, with all due respect, What? I will rather keep quiet than try to justify the unjustifiable. This is the norm for an unlearned me. I am shocked at your words.
“It is not okay that you see a call for ethnic cleansing as a mere jest, @UtomiPat. It is not okay and it will never be okay. Cheers!”
