By Hadiza Suleman
President Bola Tinubu should immediately arrest and prosecute those threatening Ndigbo living in the South-West Region.
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, Mr Peter Obi, stated this following a trending call by some people from the South-West for Nigerians from the South-East geopolitical zone to be evicted from the South-West geopolitical zone.
Those behind the calls accused the Igbo of being behind the protest against some economic policies of the Tinubu administration.
Recall that a person having the Lagospedia on X/Twitter, in a post, urged, “Lagosians and every South-West stakeholders to prepare for the massive protest of IgboMustGo on the 20th to 30th of August,” adding that, “We urged all Yoruba living in the South-East states to return home.”
Obi, like former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, likened the call to genocide.
According to Obi, “Let me pointedly warn that such rhetoric threatens our unity and is fundamentally opposed to our constitution, which guarantees every Nigerian the right to live and work freely anywhere in the country.
“Those in authority must show leadership and urgently speak out against such divisive rhetoric. Immediate action should be taken to investigate, arrest, and prosecute those behind this heinous agenda, serving as a deterrent to others who might consider pursuing similar paths that threaten our national security and unity.
“All Nigerians should stand united against this divisive rhetoric and to champion unity, tolerance, and understanding. Our future depends on our ability to live and work together harmoniously.
“The government and security agencies must act swiftly to protect this fundamental principle and ensure that every Nigerian can live free from fear of discrimination or persecution. We must not allow our present challenges to drive wedges among us.
“We can only overcome our national challenges if we act together as one people United under God.”
Obi also commented on the news making the rounds that he is leading the hunger protests.
Quoting him, “I have noticed some deliberate and well-orchestrated efforts by some persons to blackmail me into conforming to some of their nefarious agendas.
“Their dubious moves have led to the false circulation of a video from my recent keynote speech at the installation of Rotarian Professor A. U. Nnonyelu in Anambra State.
“They have twisted the video to suit their motive to suggest that I declared war on Northerners when, in fact, I spoke about declaring war on economic stagnation, insecurity, and corruption.
“Another video circulating online, supposedly showing me leading a protest in Abuja, is also false. The video was actually taken during my visit to the Labour Party HQ, where I mediated a clash between the Labour Party and the NLC. The video was conveniently edited to create a false narrative, and those responsible have been paid to spread this misinformation.”
He warned that misinforming the public “has no place in our democracy, where truth and honesty should prevail.”
