Sanwo-Olu denounces call for #IgboMustGo from Lagos but does his master’s bidding in covert operations anyway
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has decried individuals promoting the #IgboMustGo hastag on X (Twitter) that demands the “deportation” of Igbos from the South West, especially Lagos.
However, it is another doublespeak from the ‘Tinubu boy’ who does the bidding of his tribalistic master in private but pretends in public to be fair to all ethnic nationalities in Nigeria’s most cosmopolitan state made rich by the sweat of its diverse residents.
The hastag was allegedly posted by someone in the ‘Tinubu tribal inner circle’ who was upset at the success of the hunger protest in Lagos on Thursday, which was not staged by just “Igbo people” in the state, but by all ethnic groups across Nigeria.
Tinubu had through Bayo Onanuga some weeks ago accused Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) of masterminding the protest, with a veiled threat to arrest and prosecute him for treason, an allegation Obi denied and over which he threatened to sue Onanuga for N5 billion if not retracted.
Sanwo-Olu heard but said and did nothing during the election campaign last year when Bola Tinubu’s wife Remi – whose father was from Ogun and mother from Delta – described the Igbo in Lagos as immigrants who were ungrateful after being “accommodated” in the state.
Remi warned: “We will entreat all the deities of Lagos to chase Igbo people out. Igbo who didn’t marry Yoruba, we will inherit them. Given how much we love Igbo, you now want to spoil everything.”
This agenda was earlier espoused by Rilwan Akiolu, another Tinubu man who is the Oba of Lagos, who threatened to drown the Igbos in the Lagos lagoon if they failed to vote for his preferred candidate.
Also during the campaign last year, Tinubu himself demoted the Igbos to second class citizens and beggars when he told them to their faces at a stump in the South East that “if you vote for me to become President, I will give you bread.”
To reinforce his tribalism, Tinubu reminded guests at the June 12 dinner in Abuja this year that he is “a Yoruba boy” – that coming from a so-called President who is supposed to play down tribal inclinations and adopt unity and nationalism in his words and actions.
Both Tinubu (from Osun) and Remi are not indigenes of Lagos where they have planted themselves as king and queen and attack other transplants.
Tinubu’s hatchet man Onanuga is from Ogun, yet equally claims Lagos and spews up derogatory and inflammatory statements against the Igbos, all of the vituperations embedded on his X handle.
Tinubu’s ethnic baiting – at times by himself and mostly using surrogates, cronies, and proxies for the dirty job, is copied direct from the playbook of former United States President Donald Trump – a rabid racist and hypocrite, whose mother was a US immigrant from Ireland and his wife from Slovenia – who rails against immigrants.
Trump has publicly pledged to embark on “the greatest mass deportation [of immigrants] in human history” if he wins re-election to the White House in November.
Sanwo-Olu also saw, heard, but did nothing when Tinubu’s chief thug in Lagos, MC Oluomo (Musiliu Akinsanya), threatened Igbos in the state not to vote, a message encapsulated in his video tweet on “Mama Chukwudi.” He did that with impunity.
Indeed – because Sanwo-Olu (quietly) justifies and provides cover for Igbo haters – thugs brutalised many Igbos in Lagos for merely exercising their right to vote. None of the criminals was prosecuted. Including Onanuga, who verbally abused Igbos many times.
Instead, MC Olumo was rewarded with a government appointment in Lagos, and Onanuga with a job in Abuja.
Elder statesman Edwin Clark is among those who have since pointed out how Tinubu marginalises the Igbos in his cabinet – further affirmation of Tinubu’s avowed tribalism and (quiet) divisiveness that drips down to Remi his wife, and to his goons, like Onanuga, his attack dog in the Villa he unleashes on the Igbos without provocation.
A Tinubu lackey (@Lagospedia) who posted the #IgboMustGo hastag on X is merely amplifying the Aso Rock echo chamber, even though the criminal may not necessarily be a direct servant working in the Villa.
Sanwo-Olu reacted to the latest Igbo baiting tweet after Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday called it out in his own tweet and asked Aso Rock to investigate the hastag poster and his agenda.
Sanwo-Olu and the Lagos State government wish to distance themselves from such “reckless, divisive, and dangerous rhetoric,” a statement issued by his Media Aide Gboyega Akosile quoted him as saying.
“The attention of Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has been drawn to a post by LagosPedia, a social media handle on X (formerly Twitter) that calls on the Igbo to vacate Lagos and Southwest of Nigeria and brace up for a massive hashtag #IgboMustGo protest from 20th to 30th August, 2024,” the statement stressed.
“The Governor of Lagos State and indeed, Lagos State Government wish to distance themselves from the reckless, divisive and dangerous rhetoric, saying Lagos remains home to every Nigerian citizen regardless of their ethnic nationality.
“Governor Sanwo-Olu views the post as not only reckless and divisive but an attempt to sow a seed of discord between the Yoruba in the Southwest and other tribes, especially those who have made Lagos their permanent place of abode.
“The Governor appeals to Lagosians not to allow any person or group of individuals to create tensions in the State, calling on the security agencies to promptly investigate those behind the handle and bring them to justice.”
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Related articles:
Tinubu’s aide describes him as “corrupt … a man covered with deceit” in old tweet dug up by netizens
Even Tinubu’s wife, Remi, grouses against Ibos
“You can’t stop protest of hungry Nigerians,” Tinubu’s prophet, Ayodele, cautions him
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