OBA of Lagos His Royal Highness Rilwan Akiolu appears to have carried out his threat to force Igbos in Lagos State to vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC) after it emerged that his agents made several traders close their shops and attend the party's rally.
Over the weekend, while speaking to an audience of Igbos in Lagos, the Oba threatened that if they refused to support the APC's governorship candidate Akinwunmi Ambode, they would be asked to jump onto the Lagos Lagoon. His comments have attracted widespread condemnation from politicians of all partiers and from spokesmen of all of Nigeria's ethnic groups.
Although the APC has sought to distance itself from Oba Akiolu's comments, it emerged earlier today that several Igbo traders were forced to attend Mr Ambode's rally. Earlier this morning, hundreds of shop owners, especially those of Igbo extraction were forced to shut-down their shops at the Idumota Market, in Lagos Island to attend the event.
It was learned that the traders who arrived their various business arena as early as 8am, were directed by Oba Akiolu's agents to hurriedly close their shops and attend the rally. They were asked to join the waiting vehicles parked in front of Mr Ambode's house, from where they would be transported to Orile, the venue of Mr Ambode's campaign attended by the president-elect General Muhammadu Buhari.
Some traders who deal in pharmaceutical products in the market, said when they arrived at the market, messengers informed them that Oba Akiolu ordered everyone to close shop and join the buses numbering over 100 going to the rally. Several of them said they lost millions of naira as a result of the directive.
Ifeoma, a pharmaceutical products dealer, said: “We were shocked at what happened today in Idumota Market. When we got to the market, we were caught unawares by a purported order from the Oba of Lagos, directing all traders to close shop and join a bus heading for Ambode's campaign.
“We were shocked by this directive, because we were never informed on Monday about this directive. More worrisome is the fact that I lost millions of naira because of this self-serving coercion by the Oba.”
Jude, another pharmaceutical products dealer, added: “I feel this recent forceful directive by the Oba is in fulfilment of his threat to deal with Ndigbo if they failed to vote for his preferred candidate. However, as far as I am concerned, no amount of threat or coercion will deter me from making my choice at the forthcoming governorship election in Lagos State.”
It is not yet what happened to those who refused to join the busses and attend the rally. Already, the APC has said that the oba does not speak for the party, adding that his views were no more than his personal opinion.
