Abah Joshua
The apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has sounded a high warning to Ndigbo residing in Lagos not to identify with neither the Lagos Mandate group and the Lagos Justice group, noting that both factions were responsible for the persecution of the Igbos in Lagos.
The warning, which was contained in a press statement issued by Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, Deputy President General Ohanaeze Ndigbo is coming on the heels of the political crisis rocking the Lagos State House of Assembly.
According to him, the body was actually aware of maneuvers aimed at enlisting Igbo communities into the fray of this political crisis and implored all Igbo residents of Lagos to resist any temptations to embroil themselves in these factional disputes.
The statement reads, “The Apex Igbo Sociocultural Organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, hereby articulates its grave concern regarding the current political tumult surrounding the Speakership of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
“This evolving crisis, we assert, bears an uncanny resemblance to the infamous 1965 political strife known as “Operation Wetie,” marked by the rivalry between prominent figures such as Akintola and Awolowo.
“In unequivocal terms, Ohanaeze Ndigbo admonishes all Igbo residents and communities within Lagos State to exercise unwavering neutrality amidst these turbulent political machinations.
“The ongoing contention between the impeached Speaker Mudashiru Obasa and the newly elected Speaker Mojisola Meranda represents not merely a personal struggle for power, but rather a calculated contest over the substantial resources generated from Value Added Tax (VAT), taxation, and rental incomes endemic to Lagos State.
“It is imperative to note that nemesis has indeed come calling for various political factions including the Lagos Mandate group and the Lagos Justice group. These factions bear significant responsibility for the insidious political persecution of Igbo communities, as exemplified by the destruction of Igbo-populated markets and the wanton demolition of properties ostensibly belonging to our people since 2023.
“Our prior entreaties to the former Speaker Obasa regarding the calamitous demolitions were met with a disconcerting silence—a silence that has now rendered our community vulnerable to further machinations.
“In light of intelligence gathered, we are acutely aware of maneuvers aimed at enlisting Igbo communities into the fray of this political crisis. We must be explicit: any such attempts to engage Igbos in support of one political faction or another are nothing short of calculated tactics designed to escalate tensions and further ethnicize this political debacle. As such, we implore all Igbo residents of Lagos to resist any temptations to embroil themselves in these factional disputes.
“Furthermore, we urge those engaged in the ongoing political contest to draw lessons from the annals of history. The events between 1961 and 1965 in the old Western Region, characterized by the dreadful fallout of the Akintola and Awolowo rivalry, serve as a poignant reminder of the catastrophic consequences that can arise when political pettiness spirals into chaos. The phrase “The Wild Wild West” not only signifies an era of tumult but serves as a cautionary warning for present-day Nigeria.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo asserts that Nigeria’s democratic framework teeters on the brink of peril. We call upon all Nigerians, as well as advocates of democracy, to ensure that the current Speakership tussle does not deteriorate into a situation reminiscent of the 1965 crisis that culminated in the collapse of Nigeria’s First Republic and the subsequent disintegration of democratic governance in 1966.
“The recent encirclement of the Lagos House of Assembly by the Department of State Services (DSS), police, and other security apparatus, instigated by the Acting Clerk A.T.B. Ottun, is a stark reminder of the fragility of our democratic institutions. The actions taken on February 17, 2025, which sought to bar the impeached Speaker Obasa from resuming his duties, echo the chaotic events of yesteryear. Thus, if vigilant care is not employed, we may inadvertently find ourselves ensnared in the throes of another political abyss.
“In conclusion, Ohanaeze Ndigbo judiciously demands that all Igbos in Lagos exercise caution and remain neutral. We must collectively avoid the trap of becoming sacrificial lambs or scapegoats within the quagmire that is the Lagos Speakership tussle and its ensuing political impasse” , he said.
