The bizarre ‘Igbo must go’ campaign by a group, Lagospedia, has been condemned by well-meaning Nigerians and socio-cultural groups. They also urged the Federal Government to apprehend and prosecute those behind the divisive campaign. The former Vice President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, his Labour Party (LP) counterpart, Peter Obi, and the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organization, Afenifere, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, and the Lagos Indigenes have strongly condemned the needless mischievous campaign.
The Lagospedia group had given the Igbo 30 days to leave Lagos and the entire South-West region with their businesses. According to the group, “Lagosians and every Southwest stakeholder should prepare for the massive protest of #IgboMustGo on the 20th –30th of August. They have one month from now to leave and relocate their business from all South-West states. We urge all Yorubas living in the South-East to return home.”
The evil and hate campaign came a few days ahead of the nationwide hardship protests that rocked the country recently. It was preceded by ethnic hate speech directed at the Igbo by a presidential media aide, Bayo Onanuga. It must be pointed out that the stigmatization of the Igbo had been on prior to the 2023 general election but became more pronounced during the polls.
Although President Bola Tinubu had in his August 4 nationwide broadcast on the hunger protests, condemned the ethnic bigotry, he should do more than that and ensure that those behind the threats to Nigerian nationhood are arrested and diligently prosecuted. Earlier, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State had distanced himself and his administration from the reckless and dangerous statement by Lagospedia, stressing that the state remains home to every Nigerian citizen regardless of their ethnic nationality. Similarly, the South-East Caucus in the National Assembly had condemned the anti-Igbo campaign and called for an end to the ethnic profiling.
We condemn the ‘Igbo must go’ campaign and call on the Federal Government and the security agencies to arrest, prosecute and punish the promoters of the hate campaign. The ethnic campaign contradicts Section 41 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended) which states that “every citizen of Nigeria is entitled to move freely throughout Nigeria and to reside in any part thereof, and no citizen of Nigeria shall be expelled from Nigeria or refused entry thereto or exit therefrom.”
The promoters of the Lagospedia are contesting the sovereignty of Nigeria. Their action amounts to a declaration war on Nigeria itself. They must be quickly fished out wherever they are and be brought to justice. The Nigeria Police Force (NPF), DSS and the military should go after these agents of destabilization. The hate promoters must be unmasked and dealt with so that others will not toe the evil path. The Igbo had been victims of ethnic hate and attacks in the North and other parts of the country before and after the Nigerian civil war of 1967-1970.
They had also been targeted for sundry attacks in some parts of the country during political violence and religious riots. During the 2023 election, they suffered hate campaign, physical attacks and voter suppression in Lagos State. It is good that prominent leaders in Lagos and the South-West region have condemned the ethnic campaign and urged all Lagosians to disregard the hate campaign.
The threat to the Igbo in Lagos and the South-West region is reprehensible, uncalled for and unacceptable. No doubt, this country belongs to all of us. No one particular group is more Nigerian than the others. In an era of globalization and multiculturalism, it is sad that some people are driven by ethnicity and clannishness.
There is need to avoid incendiary comments and actions that will plunge the country into another civil war. Nigeria has fought a gruesome civil war with dire consequences. Those attempting to drag the country through that path again should think twice. No nation ever survives two civil wars. Those fanning the embers of discord must be apprehended and punished. Everything must be done to steer the country from that ugly path.
It is unfortunate that after 25 years of our uninterrupted democracy such incendiary comments should prevail in Nigeria. Such crass indiscretion had set off alarm bells in some countries and had actually led to unmanageable crises. We must avoid the road to Kigali. The ‘Igbo must go’ campaigners’ should be seen and treated as enemies of the state and agents of destabilization.