Tinubu, APC Finally React To Oba’s Hate Speech
The national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Tinubu and its party has finally reacted to the hate speech cre...
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The national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Tinubu and its party has finally reacted to the hate speech credited to the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu.
Tinubu, who is believed to be an ally of the monarch on Tuesday tendered unreserved apology to the Igbos residing in Lagos State.
APC national leaders, Bola Tinubu
Sahara Reporters said the party chieftain while speaking at a rally in Iganmu, Lagos, said he could not speak for the party and his governorship candidate in Lagos, Akinwunmi Ambode.
Tinubu, who said he was the first Yoruba governor to appoint an Igbo commissioner accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), of trying to profit from the crisis generated by Akiolu’s comment, having failed to win the just concluded March 28 presidential elections.
He said the coordinator of the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria, Ifeanyi Ubah and the PDP leader, Bode George, were only making baseless accusations against the APC.
“The oba is not a politician. His job is to accommodate all political parties, whether PDP, APC or SDP. So, what did he (Ubah) go and do at the palace? To you Igbos, don’t we pay your children’s school fees like others? Or is it the palace that pays for it? When we conducted an examination and a spelling competition, an Igbo boy, Ebuka, from Anambra, came first and he became the governor for one day. Those who won the competition three times in a row were Igbo. Ebuka was sent to Switzerland computer school and then Obafemi Awolowo University. We did not say he was an Igbo boy and he would not enjoy. He became an executive in Oando and he is now in Canada. Another boy, Felix, won and went to Switzerland and OAU. We paid his scholarship; we did not deny him because he is Igbo,” he said.
Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu
The Lagos State APC publicity secretary, Joe Igbokwe, in a statement said the traditional ruler spoke out of anger, and pleaded with the Igbos not to take out their anger on Ambode, who knew nothing about the development.
“Oba Rilwan Akiolu of Lagos is not a card-carrying member of APC. He is not a leader in the APC. He does not speak for the APC. He did not speak for Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos state. He did not speak for our national leader, Senator 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. We 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,” the statement reads.
Speaking also at APC rally in Orile area of the state, the president-elect, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari, promised to give Lagos State priority when he takes over office come May 29, 2015.
The retired general urged Lagos residents to vote en masse for the party’s governorship candidate in Lagos State, Mr Ambode, on Saturday.
Buhari, pleaded Lagosians to votes for APC candidates on Saturday, in order for the state to benefit immensely from the Federal Government.
The President-elect revealed that Lagos was too important for APC to lose after what the ruling party, Nigeria and the people had invested in the state that made it a distinguished state in the country.
“I was here to appreciate your love for me and APC. I urge you to vote for APC from bottom to up this Saturday. People should not deny Lagos the opportunities at the centre, particularly now that we are at the centre,” he said.
Several Nigerians have reacted with outrage to the reported statement by Oba Akiolu, openly threatening the Igbo people and their kinsmen, forsaying he would make life miserable for them if they sabotage efforts being made to ensure that the governorship candidate of the APC, Akinwunmi Ambode, is elected as the next governor of the state.
Meanwhile, Tinubu, the national leader of the APC and the former governor of Lagos state, has expressed his disappointment over the loss of five House of Representatives’ seats to the PDP in the presidential and National Assembly elections held on March 28.
