Threat To Drown Igbos: Ohanaeze Ndigbo Leaders Meet Oba Of Lagos

Ahead of Saturday's governorship and House of Assembly elections, the leadership of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Caretaker Committee and other Igbo leaders yesterday met with the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, over the controversial warning to the Igbos residing in Lagos. It can be recalled that Oba Akiolu had threatened Igbo to either vote for the APC guber candidate, Akinwunmi Ambode or risk hard times in Lagos, a statement, which has generated much criticism.

To douse the tension, a delegation of the Ohanaeze met with Oba Akiolu in his palace yesterday. The team was made up of Chief Ralph Obioha, chairman of the Caretaker Committee, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, who was leader of delegation; Chief Onwuka Ukwa (Ebonyi State); Chief Haruna Ajah (Ebonyi State); Chief Ignatius Okamene (Imo State) and Chief Mrs. Pat Udoye (Enugu State).

Sources revealed that at the meeting, Obioha had asked Oba Akiolu if there was any rift between the Igbo and the palace to warrant his comments, to which the monarch said it was only politics, adding that by Saturday, after the governorship election, it would be over. The Lagos monarch told the delegation that people were just making a mountain out of a molehill

Oba Akiolu, however, urged all to respect the fact that Ambode was like his son and he was not hiding his support for him. “They should respect my feelings,” he pleaded.

It was gathered that Oba Akiolu had broken his siesta, for the first time, to receive the Ohanaeze delegation, as a mark of respect for the Igbo. He told the Obioha-led team that he had been associating with Igbo for long, revealing that Igbo traders were using most of his shops in Isale Eko.

Responding, Obioha, on behalf of the delegation, told Oba Akiolu that the Igbos would not bear grudge or animosity against him or the people of Lagos. The meeting lasted for 40 minutes and ended amicably.

Source: Daily Sun