Labour Party Warns against Attacks on  Igbo in Lagos

Wale Igbintade

The Labour Party of Nigeria (LP), has warned the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and the Iyaloja General of Lagos State, Mrs. Folashade Tinubu Ojo, to stop the harassment of Igbo youths in Lagos State.

The LP also called on the Inspector General of Police to call the Lagos State Police Commissioner to order, stressing that this would be the last time such an infraction would be tolerated.

The party, in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Arabambi Abayomi, accused Sanwo-Olu and Ojo of attempting to frustrate residents of Lagos from voting candidates of their choice as the nation approaches the next general elections.

The statement added that traders of Igbo extraction are now living in fear, as there seems to be a mandate to force them either to accept the APC or face the dire consequences of death.

The statement claimed that the LP is in possession of evidence of cohesion by the market leaders, where traders are allegedly forced to surrender their PVCs or have their shops locked and their goods looted.

The statement further claimed that this started when market women were forced to “stage a phantom one million march in support of their candidate and those who failed to do this were forced to part with a whooping N5,000 or have their shops locked.”

The statement reads: “A case in point is the closing down of Alaba market, heavily populated by the Igbos when evidence abounds that the foot soldiers of their candidate, the Transport Workers Union members, and the Park Management Committee, are the ones who stirred the hornet’s nest by embarking on extortion of traders under this economic hardship imposed on Nigeria by the outgoing President.”

The statement lamented that under Sanwo-Olu’s watch, legitimate businessmen are choked with various policies coupled with lack of electricity and basic infrastructure to aid the ease of doing business.

It faulted the governor for losing his voice when and where it matters, but “was quick to unleash his lapdogs and other security agents on hapless citizens, especially the lads that were peacefully commemorating the second anniversary of #EndSARS at toll gate where innocent youths were murders by security agents.”

Abayomi wondered why Sanwo-Olu could not use the same method to protect Igbos and those who do not believe in the policies of the ruling party and are ready to give them the red card at the poll.

The Labour Party alleged that this amounted to a drowning man seeking ways to survive the tide of the waves, but this time however the tide is too strong for them and is ready to sweep them away at the poll in 2023.

He, however, warned the iyaloja general and Sanwo-Olu to rethink and never again throw the state into another season of darkness by promoting ethnicity.

“Nigeria is an indivisible entity, and we have agreed to work together no matter where we found ourselves politically and geographically,” he added.