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| Akiolu |
Barrister Atueyi Chukwudi Felix has revealed
why he and other Igbo people who were at the palace of Oba of Lagos State, Oba Rilwan
Akiolu, laughed and clapped when he threatened and cursed Igbos if they did not
vote the All Progressives Congress (APC), governorship candidate Akinwunmi
Ambode.
Felix who said he was present when Akiolu
made the statement, said that the Oba was only joking and speaking with them as
friends, adding that friends were always free with one another.
He alleged that the person who video the
event and made it public, had a political motive. This motive he said was to
curry favour for PDP.
He noted that he felt it was expedient
for him to speak up before things gets out of hand. “I strongly suspect that
all this is being portrayed in this manner simply to curry votes for the Saturday’s
coming election which is already at hand.”
He stated that the ongoing saga might compel
some people, who had hitherto being indifferent to their civic duty, to go out
of anger and vote against the Oba’s advice, just to dare him.
He said: “What the Oba said was fully and
simply directed to only the Igbos present at the meeting who his majesty
considered to be very close to him and should understand him well enough. When
one talks to his very close friends, he tends to be very free with them. He was
being very free with those present at the meeting and wanted us to realize how
serious and close he takes us and our votes, because he could not imagine us
giving him our words only to turn back and do the very opposite!”
Felix stressed that Akiolu did not force
them to the meeting. According to him, “we
were the ones that went to him on solidarity visit, so it would be very evil of
us to only go and deceive him there. He only jokingly warned the people present
at the meeting who he considered his own people.”
The lawyer argued that if close
attention was paid to the video which went viral, Nigerians would discover that
there was no specific point he referred to, ‘all the Igbos in Lagos.’
He said that it was because they were close
friends to Akiolu and understood him quite well that those of them present at
the occasion applauded and laughed at the end of his speech.
“We were expected to thereafter talk to
our people in civilized manner to convince them and canvass for their votes if
we truly believe we are capable of doing so,” said Felix. “The tradition of
lagoon water threat was directed only to those present there at the meeting,
jokingly as culture demands. Although he appeared serious, but we all
understood it as a joke, that was why we all applauded him and made fun of it
there.”
Felix said that he was shocked at the
twist the play took after the video went viral, stressing that he suspected
serious politics at play. He said he wouldn’t know who recorded the speech and
decided to play politics with it, but, “it’s most unfair to his majesty to be
portrayed in this manner.”
He noted that he felt it was expedient
for him to speak up before things gets out of hand. “I strongly suspect that
all this is being portrayed in this manner simply to curry votes for the Saturday’s
coming election which is already at hand.”
He stated that the ongoing saga might compel
something people, who had hitherto being indifferent to their civic duty, to
now go out of anger and vote against the Oba does advise in order to dare the Oba.
Felix
averred: “The people twisting this innocent comment of cultural performance of
his majesty before the very people he considers so close to himself should ask
themselves this question, what then happens to the Yorubas who would vote
Agbaje on Saturday? Would they also end up in lagoon within the said seven days?
I think this propaganda is set out to achieve one thing only; to corrupt the
mind of those Igbo people who would likely vote APC and even also the minds of those
who are indifferent.”
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