Chief Bode George, a former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has tendered an apology to Igbos over the anti–Igbo comment made by a former Director of Publicity for the Presidential Campaign Council of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Bayo Onanuga. He equally threatened that Onanuga would be banned from Lagos he does not change.
Chief George reportedly tendered the apology at his residence while receiving a delegation of the Lagos State chapter of Anya-Ndi-Igbo, a non-partisan, Igbo socio-political and economic development-oriented organisation.
In the heat of the 2023 presidential election campaigns, Onanuga had warned Igbos against interference with Lagos State politics, charging them to mind their business or be dealt with.
Taking a swipe at Onanuga, Chief George described the statement by Onanuga as “senseless and incongruous” and pleaded with the Igbos to accept his apology for Onanuga’s “careless” misrepresentation.
According to report by The Sun, Chief George said : “It is sad that until now Onanuga has not apologised for the comment. Please let Ndigbo accept my apology for such a senseless comment.
“I expect Prof Wole Soyinka to tell him to apologise rather than be abusing Datti Baba-Ahmed.
“It is a misnomer, senseless and insane to make that kind of comment in a country where we are still trying to build the nation.
“How can you tell them that they can’t come here? Is that the culture of Lagos? Lagos is the commercial-nerve centre not only for Nigeria but for the whole of West Africa.
“I believe that there is a new move in Lagos and the elders of the real Lagosians are going to meet because you don’t come here to come and define our culture. The culture that has existed.
“And I want to apologise publicly for that kind of distastible statement by Bayo Onanuga.
“Who the hell is he to be throwing such tantrums and I’m shocked that even Bola Tinubu has not told him to shut up.
“So, I want to apologise as a true born and genuine Lagosian that that is not our style and attitude and we must stop it.”
He warned that “If Bayo Onanuga is not careful, we will also ban him from Lagos. He can’t talk on behalf of Lagosians and what authority does he has to make such a comment.”
Speaking during the visit, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Anya-Ndi-Igbo, Dr. Uma Eleazu, who led the delegation reportedly said that Igbos were not in any battle with the Yorubas for Lagos, stressing that “There is a development we noticed in the last election, it turned out to be a do or die affair. If you do a content analysis of the just concluded elections, the words that were used were worrisome.”
Eleazu noted that “These are words that create fear in the minds of people. In the last election, it went beyond that.
“We saw one ethnic nationality brought out to be antagonized and given names.
“So, our coming to you is to tell you that the Igbo people are not in Lagos for a war or a fight. We are in Lagos to earn a living and to contribute to the development of the place where we are making a living.
“Some faceless people are going round fomenting trouble for Igbo people.”
