Bode George, Femi Fani Kayode And Catholic Caritas Foundation Fire Back At Oba Akiolu

The Peoples Democratic Party leader in Lagos, Bode George, has condemned the speech of the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, for threatening Igbo people to vote for the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, or die in the lagoon.

While speaking at a press conference in Lagos, George said it was unfortunate that Akiolu had openly taken sides with a political party. He urged the monarch to relinquish his crown and go into partisan politics if he could not remain neutral.

He said, “The Oba of Lagos is my friend but we belong to different political parties. I was shell-shocked when I heard the comments by my friend telling our Igbo brothers – because they decided who to vote for PDP – that he would curse them to run into the Lagos lagoon. By the grace of God that will never happen.

“He said he owns Lagos. There is a need to draw a line between who a kabiyesi is and who a governor is. The kabiyesi is a traditional ruler and father of all. If he wants to play politics like some of us, he should leave that throne, come out and meet us on the field.

“We should not denigrate that office and use it as a political platform to deride other parties.”

Fani-Kayode, in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday, said many of President Goodluck Jonathan’s supporters in the North received similar threats before the March 28 election.

He, however, urged the APC to call its supporters to order as no party had a monopoly of violence.

He said, “The truth is that we were threatened with ethnic cleansing and religious carnage in the North had Gen. Muhammadu Buhari not won the presidential election on March 28 and had President Goodluck Jonathan not quickly conceded defeat.

“We let that go and kept the peace but now our traditional supporters are being threatened in Lagos and in many other states as we approach the April 11governorship elections.

“Let it be clearly understood by all and sundry that any attempt to kill, maim or molest our supporters will be deemed unacceptable and will be met with defiance, contempt and a well-orchestrated and solid resistance.”

He called on the non-indigenes in Lagos to ignore the monarch and come out en masse to vote for Agbaje on Saturday.

Also, the Catholic Caritas Foundation of Nigeria has called on Akiolu to withdraw the curse he allegedly placed on Igbo over Saturday’s governorship election in Lagos State.

The CCFN said the Lagos monarch’s utterances amounted to threat and intimidation.

It said that it understood Akiolu’s fear of losing the city to strangers but that Lagos has been one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Africa for decades “and any citizen contributing to its economy and politics can be a bonafide resident.”

The CCFN, an organ of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, in a statement by its Executive Secretary, Rev. Fr. Evaristus Bassey, condemned Akiolu’s comments, saying the monarch missed the point because “Nigeria is a republic and a democracy and not a monarchy.”