Joe Igbokwe, Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Drainage and Water Resources, has taunted the South East region where he hails from, boasting that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the president-elect, would rule Nigeria for eight years and hand over power to a northerner.
The issue of power shift created a major rift in the buildup to the 2023 elections, with some persons arguing that it was the turn of the South East to produce Nigeria’s president.
Many of those who made this argument lined up behind Peter Obi, Labour Party Presidential Candidate, who came third in the February 25 election.
However, Obi pulled a surprise by defeating his main opponents, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party and Tinubu, who ran on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in their strongholds.
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Obi defeated Tinubu in Lagos and that has formed a major discussion ahead of the March 18 governorship election, which Labour Party has vowed to win.
Making a case for Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Igbokwe took to Facebook to appeal to Igbos in Lagos to cast their ballots for the incumbent Lagos governor.
According to him, the president-elect and former governor of the state had backed well-known Igbo businessmen in Lagos, saying that supporting Sanwo-Olu would be a way for them to repay Tinubu for his kindness over the years.
“President-Elect ASIWAJU BAT is a good friend of the Igbo and he did his best for prominent Igbo businessmen and women in Lagos including me. This is payback time and we should do this by voting for GOV SANWO OLU en-mass on March 18.”
There were a series of reactions, but a caustic remark from one Ejike Akunna apparently angered Igbokwe.
“Dash him your wife and daughters and enthrone him as your family deity. That’ll be adequate payback,” Akunna wrote.
Responding, Igbokwe said, “When I see the level of despicable abuses and calling of names coming from the South East young people I run away with the thinking that we did not do our duties as parents. Shame has enveloped me from head to toes.
“Ejike Akunna jisieike, mark my words here: Asiwaju from 2023 to 2031 and another Northerner from 2031 to 2039. We will still be children of anger and children of hate and life goes on. We will be onlookers because we refused to play politics. Dazzol!!!”
Igbokwe, who was spokesman of the ruling APC in Lagos for a long period of time, came into political prominence after Tinubu appointed him when he was governor of Lagos.
Although Tinubu left government in 2007, every other Lagos governor till date has appointed Igbokwe into its cabinet.
In a social media post last year, Igbokwe said but for Lagos, he would have been chasing lizards in Aba, Abia State, or practicing as a native doctor.
“LAGOS, If not for Lagos, somebody like me, will be in Aba chasing lizards to use as a native doctor. LAGOS…. You come to Lagos with a nylon bag and go back to Ibo land with Rolls Royce.”
