The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Nigeria has condemned the comments of the Oba of Lagos, which has been described as a threat to Igbos in Lagos, saying “the Oba does not speak for the APC”.
The Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, had in a speech advised the Igbos in Lagos to vote for the governorship candidate he supports, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, stressing that anyone that goes against his wish will “perish in the water”, apparently referring to the Lagos Lagoon.
A day after, the comments went viral on the social media, attracting diverse comments.
The APC on Tuesday stressed that the party had not in any way engaged in hate speech, emphasising that “Lagos is a special state. It has accounted for its diversity in its cabinet. It has never been an issue till now”.
On its twitter handle the party said: “Bad is bad, irrespective of where it comes from. We highly condemn the comments made by the highly respected Oba of Lagos in strong terms.
“In the 16 years that the party has governed Lagos, we have never heard of ethnicity as we have had in this gubernatorial elections.
“Since 99, the Lagos State Government has appointed Commissioners from various parts of Nigeria. It understands diversity is a blessing”.
The royal palace had in a statement tried to clear the air on the issue, restating his commitment to ensuring the peaceful coexistence of all residents of Lagos State irrespective of tribe, religion or political persuasion.