Ohaneze Ndigbo appeals to Igbos to forget Obas threat, sues for peace

Notable Igbo group, Ohaneze Ndigbo has asked all Ndigbos resident in Lagos to disregard the threat from the Oba of Lagos on the oncoming Governorship election. In a statement released and signed by the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Ralph Obioha, the group said it has accepted the Oba's explanation which was released from his palace...

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Ohanaeze-Ndigbo drags Oba Akiolu to Human Rights Commission

As reactions continues to trail the threat by the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu to drown Igbo in Lagos if they failed to vote his candidate, Akinwumi Ambode, of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Saturday’s governorship elections in the state, Igbo groups in Lagos have dragged the Oba to the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC.

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Drop your crown & pursue politics - Afenifere reacts to Oba of Lagos anti-Igbo comments

Pan-Yoruba group, Afenifere has called on the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu to drop his crown and pursue politics following his recent anti-igbo remarks. Spokesperson of Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin spoke to Vanguard about the position of the group; 

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Anti-Igbo Comment: Lagos APC apologizes, appeals for calm

The All Progressives Congress Lagos has asked the Igbo community in Lagos to ignore and forget the unfortunate statement credited to the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, when he addressed some Igbo chiefs in Lagos over the weekend.

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Oba of Lagos should apologise to Igbo people ‘without delay’ – Falana

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has told the Oba of Lagos, Rilwanu Akiolu, to apologise to the Igbo people in Lagos “without delay” over his controversial statement.

During a courtesy visit by Eze Ndigbos (Igbo traditional rulers) of all the local governments in Lagos at the Oba’s Palace on Sunday, Mr. Akiolu had said that Igbo residents in the state should cast their votes for the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Akinwunmi Ambode, or “perish inside the lagoon.”

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APC condemns Oba of Lagos comments, says he does not speak for the party

The party took to Twitter this afternoon to condemn the comments made by the Oba of Lagos to Igbos on Sunday April 5th.

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Dear Igbo people, Basketmouth is now selling life jackets

For those of you who don't know how to swim...life jacket now for sale para-venture there's a need to swim the Lagoon after Saturday's election...:-)

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PDP asks Governor Fashola to suspend Oba of Lagos

The Peoples Democratic Party has demanded the immediate suspension of Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, till after the governorship and state House of Assembly elections in Lagos State.

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Nigerians attack Oba of Lagos for his 'Anti-Igbo' comments

Many Nigerians have expressed outrage over the threat by Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, against Igbo if they fail to vote for the Lagos State All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, in Saturday’s election.

The monarch reportedly told Igbo leaders in Lagos on Saturday that he would “make life unbearable” for the Igbos in Lagos if they frustrate efforts to ensure that Am¬bode emerges as the next governor of the state.

Oba Akiolu was quoted as saying, “On Saturday, if anyone of you goes against Ambode, whom I picked, that is your end. If it does not happen within seven days, just know that I am a bastard and it is not my father who gave birth to me.

“By the grace of God, I am the owner of Lagos for the time being. On Saturday, if anyone of you, I swear in the name of God, goes against my wish that Ambode will be the next governor of Lagos State, the person is going to die in¬side this water.”

Some Nigerians took to Twitter to comment on the controversial 'anti-igbo' comments.

Read some below...

Apart from the Twitter users, many others who called out the monarch are the Catholic Caritas Foundation of Nigeria and the youth wing of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

While the CCFN asked Oba Akiolu to revert his “curse” on the Igbos, the Ohanaeze youths gave the monarch 48 hours to withdraw his threat and apologise for his outburst against the Igbos.

CCFN, an organ of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, in a statement by its Executive Secretary, Rev. Fr. Evaristus Bassey, on Monday in Abuja said Akiolu was “missing the point that Nigeria is a Republic and a democracy and not a monarchy.”

He said, “We humbly call on the Oba himself to withdraw his curse and rather appeal to the people, for indeed, such a threat may amount to playing God and God, who is a merciful father, will not allow his children to die so senselessly just because they are fulfilling the dictates of their conscience.”

According to him, the fact that APC is the government at the centre is a strong factor to employ and appeal to people to vote for its candidate “rather than invoking ancestral powers for destruction.”

Bassey added, “Why is it that in Africa we usually invoke our powers for destruction and not for building-up? Why single out a particular ethnic group for this curse? Does it mean a Yoruba or Hausa person, living in Lagos. who votes for Jimi Agbaje will go scot-free, while any Igbo, who votes for Agbaje, will drown in the Lagoon?

“Does it mean that people should vote out of fear and not their consciences? Would such an election be free and fair, where people have to vote out of intimidation?

Does not the threat of the Oba Akiolu amount to voter intimidation?”

The Ohanaeze youth wing said it considered the comments credited to the monarch as “a despicable insult on the Igbo nation home and abroad, least expected of a royal father in the rank of Oba of Lagos.”

In a statement in Umuahia on Monday, the National President of Ohanaeze Youth Council, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, said, “Igbo youths will not take this insult lightly, and unless he apologises within 48 hours, he should know he is courting our wrath.

“Nobody, no matter what he thinks he is, has the right to command Ndigbo anywhere on who to vote for in a democratic setting.”

He said the “unprintable comments”, credited to the Oba, had only revealed his innate hatred against “Ndigbo, whom God has destined to prosper in any part of the world even in hostile environments.”

He, called on security agencies to immediately invite the monarch for questioning over his remarks “which portend grave security implications.”

Source: Nigerianeye

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Ezekwesili, others lambast Akiolu over Igbo death threat

Former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, is among several Nigerians who have strong words for Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, over his reported death threat against the Igbos if they do not vote for Lagos All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Akinwunmi Ambode, on Saturday.

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PDP releases statement reacting to threat by Oba of Lagos, says anarchy looms

Statement from the PDP, reacting to the audio we all just heard. Read below...

The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) condemns in the strongest possible terms the emerging height of political recklessness in Lagos and Ekiti states ahead ofSaturday’s governorship and House of Assembly elections and calls on all Nigerians to stand up against such anti-democratic tendencies.

The senseless and unpatriotic impeachment move against Governor Ayo Fayose by out-going APC state legislators and the barbaric death threats on non-indigenes in Lagos by the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu if they vote for the PDP candidate, Mr. Jimi Agbaje ascend to a height of unruliness that should not be accommodated.

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