There is a disturbing trend in the land, monarchs are overtly being partisan. This is against the norm and general believe that Obas, Obis, Emirs or whatever they are called in your domain are neutral, for all and above the pettiness and shenanigans of politics.
The 2015 elections in Nigeria have revealed how our royal fathers are negating their duties in a shameful and dangerous way. The Oba of Lagos did up the ante to an unprecedented level with his unguarded utterances over the weekend. The Oba of Lagos, HRM Rilwan Akiolu during a courtesy visit to his palace by Eze Ndigbo made a statement laden with threat and curse. The Oba said, ‘if the Igbos did not vote for All Progressives Congress’ governorship candidate Akinwunmi Ambode in this Saturday’s election, they will drown in Lagos lagoon within seven days’.
This kind of statement is not befitting of a royal father. In fact, it is fool and senseless, it is wrong for the Oba to hide behind the crown and fan embers of threat and curse on people for exercising their civic duty as they deemed fit. The Igbos are free people and they are free to cast their vote as they like. Meanwhile, the polity was awash with outrage, over the Oba’s reported threat. The umbrella body of Igbo socio-cultural organizations, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, went into an emergency meeting yesterday over the issue. Dr. Josef Onoh, son of former governor of old Anambra State, late Chief C. C. Onoh, vowed to drag the Oba to the International Criminal Court, ICC, over the alleged threats, even as Ohanaeze Youths Council, OYC, gave the Oba 48 hours within which to retract and unconditionally apologise to Ndigbo in Lagos over the threat.
Condemnations and criticisms also came from Chief Olabode George, Mr Femi Fani-Kayode, Mr Tony Nwulu (Oshodi-Isolo Rep-elect), the Lagos State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Afenifere, Igbo Youths Movement (IYM), Aka-Ikenga and Igbo Professionals Lagos (IPL), Oodua Youths Congress, Oodua Democratic Coalition, Yoruba Thinktank, Oodua Nation in Diaspora and United Self-Determination Platform of Oodua, among others.
