Former Minister of External Affairs, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, has written a petition to President Muhammadu Buhari against the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, alleging among other things that the former Lagos State governor was instrumental to the brutal attack meted against Igbos during the presidential, national assembly, governorship and state assembly elections.
In a petition written to President Buhari dated Sunday, March 26, 2023, Prof Akinyemi blamed Tinubu for making insightful comments, speeches and causing tribal attacks against Igbos in Lagos and across Nigeria.
The petition reads, “I write this petition with the full realization that with the recent general elections like ours that allegedly became a tribal war against a particular tribe, there is need to conduct post-mortem investigation and put on trial those directly responsible and those who incited and sponsored such verbal and physical attacks, especially in Lagos State to discourage this pattern in future elections.
The Presidential election of February 25th, 2023 generously described by “The Economist” as chaotic, has further increased the negative perception of the world about our dear country to which belong our loyalty.
“The world is not pleased with our ways, and we could read it clearly in how the global press described what we did with ourselves last week.
A newspaper columnist, Lasisi Olagunju, collated the world views about us informed by the lack of organization of the umpire INEC, disappointing compromise of law enforcement agencies and unfortunate hijack of the process by non-state actors:
“The world is not pleased with our ways, and we could read it clearly in how the global press described what we did with ourselves last week.
The Economist said a “chaotically organized vote and messy count” gave Nigeria a new president.
The Financial Times said in an editorial comment that our Presidential election was “deeply flawed” and the winner “a wealthy political fixer.”
The Guardian of U.K. described the winner as “an immensely wealthy veteran powerbroker trailed by corruption allegations which he denies.”
The New York Times described him as “a divisive figure in Nigerian politics.” Robert Rotberg; founding Director of the Harvard Kennedy School’s Programme on intrastate conflict, wrote an opinion for Canada’s influential Globe and Mail; its headline: “Bola Tinubu’s election is another triumph for Nigeria’s corrupt old guard.”
The Times of London was the most disrespectful. It used this very bad phrase: “a wealthy kleptocratic ‘godfather’ of politics” to describe the person who will replace our very clean Buhari on May 29, 2023.
Lagunju went further, “I have spent the past five days reading informed commentaries and listening to credible voices.
I have not seen, read or heard a single positive review of the election in any credible media in any country of the world. I have been around long enough to conclude that Tinubu’s 2023 mandate is rivalled in content, texture and review probably only by Shehu Shagari’s Verdict ’83 mandate”.
I want you to call to mind the unfortunate event of Funke Olakunrin the daughter of the leader of Afenifere who was murdered by criminal elements.
During his visit to the father of the deceased, Asiwaju made an uncomplimentary remark which in summary pointed to the Igbo as the tribe behind the act, but as it turned out, the criminal elements were men from another tribe.
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed’s hate speech against the Igbos at the visit to Pa Fasoranti is enough grounds to order his immediate arrest by the Inspector General of Police and Director General of the State Security Services with prosecution by the Attorney General of the Federation .
Asiwaju must be put under house arrest same way you have with Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, till due diligence is done and clearance from the narcotic offence is gotten, as it must never be heard of, that anyone with tainted character is given the leadership of the most populous black nation in the world. This no doubt will affect the global fight against drug peddling and narcotic trafficking for which Lagos State of recent has become home to world record-breaking volumes of drugs never seen before.
In the circumstance, I submit this petition in my personal capacity as a patriotic Nigerian to invite/arrest, interrogate and after investigation, if necessary, charge the individuals connected to the racial discrimination and terrorism witnessed in Lagos state to court for their conduct which led to incitement and pogrom against humanity.
Yours in hope of a better and greater Nigeria,
BOLAJI O. AKINYEMI
Credit: Telegraph
