By Amb Elvis Ned Iwuajoku
The time has come for political parties to appoint Special Advisers on “Historical Affairs” to guide their utterances. This is imperative because of the recent hate speech by Bola Tinubu that he is Peter Obi’s Landlord in Lagos.
If APC Jagaban has a historian as aide, he would have educated him that Lagos is truly A NO MANS LAND, WHY. The name LAGOS is neither Yoruba nor any Nigerian language. It is clearly a Portuguese word. Originally, Eko was conquered by Benin Empire who became their landlords. The Portuguese equally had their brief presence as landlords before agents of Her Majesty, the imperial Queen of Great Britain played ding dong gun boat diplomatic games with Oba Akintoye and Dosumo to colonise Tinubu’s Lagos as new landlords. Thus, Lagos became exclusive British colony with total allegience to a woman, the Queen of England. Tinubu’s parents and great parents did nothing. They gracefully paid tribute and taxes to their British Landlords.
As they endured and accepted several years of British colonial exploitation and neo colonialism, Obi’s father, The RT. Hon. Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe said enough was enough. After his golden fleece in United States, he adopted his chains of media and electronic power to arouse nationalistic consciousness among Nigerian.
Obi’s father Dr. Azikiwe started with the Nigerian Youth Movement (NYM) and later used the National Council of Nigerian and Camerouns (NCNC) to challenge the British overlords. His political sagacity and pragmatism made Northern and Yoruba leaders like Ahmadu Bello, Obafemi Awolowo, Tafawa Balewa, Aminu Kano, Tarka, Aminu Kano, Kashim Ibrahim etc to key behind the great Zik for Nigerian Liberation.
As Peter Obi’s father, the Great Zik of Africa championed Nigerian Independence, Lagos -the no man’s land became Nigerian capital. As President of Nigeria, the federal constitution empowered Rt. Hon. Dr. Azikiwe, Obi’s father as Tinubu’s Landlord in Lagos. Dr. Azikiwe’s pan Nigerian philosophy influenced his Igbo kinsmen and other Nigerians from all the 350 ethnic nationalities to migrate and invest in the no man’s land of Lagos as landlords. They won elections and served in Lagos government.
When the military took over, Peter Obi’s senior brother, General lronsi ruled as Head of State and Tinubu’s landlord in Lagos. After the war, another senior brother of Peter Obi, Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu became Governor and Tinubu’s land lord in Lagos. Developmental, Enterprising and indomitable spirit for greener pastures made millions of Peter Obi’s brothers to invest and become landlords in Lagos. Millions of Nigerians from other ethnic nationalists Hausas, Fulanis, Tivs, ldomas, ljaws, ltsekiris, Efiks, Kanuris, Efiks equally invested and became landlords in Lagos. This made Lagos the most metropolitan and cosmopolitan entity in Black Africa. Indeed, this scenario makes nonsence of Tinubus pompous and tribalised outburst as Lagos landlord to Peter Obi.
The enigmatic question remains: “With land use law in place, can Tinibu genuinely claim to be Obi’s landlord or deny Dangote his landlord status as owner of the largest privately owned African refinery sited in Lagos?”
As Tinubu is eulogizing himself as Lagos landlord and denigrating others as tenants, there is ominous fears that once he becomes President, he will impose new land laws that will deny millions of Nigerians their landlord status in Lagos and voters should please take note. Vote against tribal bigots like Tinubu.
Historical facts abound that Tinubu is not a real Lagosian or indegenous Eko product or landlord. If the alleged insinuation that he originated from OSUN state is proved, then where lies his claim to be landlord over other Nigerians in no man’s land of Lagos. Since the federal constitution is against dual state indigenership, where lies Tinubu’s claim to be Obi’s Lagos landlord.
As a leader aspiring to be president of the most populous and heterogenous African nation, Jagaban, should shed his tribal jingoism for nationalistic postures. This nationalistic attribute is making Peter Obi the Pan Nigerian presidential candidate endorsed by Papa Obasanjo, father of new Nigeria, Papa Adebanjo, revered leader of Afenifere, Papa Edwin Clark, leader of PANDEF Niger Delta, Ohanaeze, Papa Prof Obiozor leader of Ohanaeze Ndigbo including the middle Belt Forum leadership. This is why all the Public Opinion Polls (POP) so far conducted has favoured the pragmatic, philanthropic, amiable humble, transparent, nationalistic, patriotic, hamanitarian Peter Obi, OKWUTE NIGERIA and the indefagitible defender of the vulnerable masses with the midas touch, anti dote and magic wand to turn Nigerian from consuming to productive economy.
Amb Elvis Ned Iwuajoku is a research historian and Project consultant 08034052013
