Ahead of 2027, Nigeria President-Elect Tinubu’s campaign spokesman threatens Igbos

* 2023 should be the last time Igbo people in Lagos would interfere in the political process of the state — Bayo Onanuga

Abuja, NIGERIA — The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council (APC PCC) Director of Media and Publicity, Bayo Onanuga, has said that he owes nobody an apology for warning Lagos State residents from Southeast Nigeria or Igbo people never to interfere in the Lagos State politics.

Onanuga on Saturday night warned that 2023 should be the last time Igbo people in Lagos would interfere in the political process of the state, saying the state is not a federal capital territory but a Yoruba Land.

The APC PCC media director warned Igbo people in the state to mind their business and never to repeat their political activities in Lagos State in 2027 as seen this year – 2023.

“Let 2023 be the last time of Igbo interference in Lagos politics. Let there be no repeat in 2027. Lagos is like Anambra, Imo, any Nigerian state. It is not No Man’s Land, not Federal Capital Territory. It is Yoruba land. Mind your business,” Onanuga said.

Amid reports of violence including loss of lives, election disruptions, voter suppression and intimidation by political thugs and hoodlums across the state, Onanuga on Saturday evening said that the owners of Lagos State emphatically made a loud and clear statement that Lagos is not ‘no man’s land’.

“I hope the Obidients and their LP have now realized that Lagos is not ‘no man’s land’. The state has indigenous owners and today they emphatically made the statement loud and clear,” he said.

Onanuga’s tweet was reported to Twitter management for being inciting and racially discriminatory, but after the microblogging app said the tweet does qualify for removal, the APC PCC media director made another tweet saying he owes no one an apology for what he said.

He said, “My traducers dragged me to Twitter. Twitter ruled I have done nothing wrong.

“Let me make myself abundantly clear: the views I express on Twitter are my personal views. I don’t owe anyone any apology for addressing the existential threats of our people. I am after all, first of all a Yoruba, before being a Nigerian.”

Since the build-up of the 2023 general elections, there has been ethnic profiling against Igbo people in Lagos State as some Yoruba people including some traditional and political leaders have accused Igbo people in the state of plotting to hijack Lagos politics from the indigenes.

Such ethnic profiling has led to attacks and the destruction of businesses owned by Igbo people in the state.