Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has reacted to the calls by some groups asking Igbo people to leave Lagos State.
A statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, on Friday, said Obasanjo gave his reaction while receiving the leadership of Ndigbo Amaka Progressive Market Association, an umbrella body of major markets in Lagos state at the boardroom of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) Abeokuta, Ogun State.
According to the statement, the former President said he doesn’t believe anybody in Nigeria should be driven away from any part of the country, asserting that, “we own this country together”.
He said, “Having ensured that the Yorubas, Igbos and Hausas all came together to fight the war of unity in Nigeria and “not to fight Igbos to go, but to come.
“So, if anybody says to me that somebody should leave any place, he will be the one to leave.”
A handle on X named ‘LagosPedia’ had recently demanded the forced relocation of Igbo people from Lagos and other South West states within one month.
The hashtag #Igbomustgo also called on all Yorubas living in the South East to return to the South West.
“Lagosians and every South-West stakeholder should prepare for the massive protest of #IgboMustGo on the 20th – 30th of August.
“They have one month from now to leave and relocate their businesses from all South-West states. We urge all Yorubas living in the South-East to return home,” the handle had tweeted.
The statement added that Obasanjo for the first time spoke about the claim of his Igbo paternity, declaring that such insinuation makes him laugh.
There has been an allegation that Obasanjo’s father hailed from Anambra State.
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