APC chair Odigie-Oyegun suggests PDP likely behind Igbo hate song

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, on Wednesday implied that the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may be the mastermind of the much condemned hate song against Ndigbo.

A hate song which debased the origin of South East part of Nigeria and calling for genocide against them has been in circulation in the North as a follow-up of an earlier order by Arewa youths that all Igbo living in the 19 northern states must vacate the region on or before October 1.

Reacting to the development on Wednesday, Odigie-Oyegun apparently fingered the PDP as being behind the mounting wave of hate speeches in the country as well as the Hausa audio tape circulating in the North and calling for the extermination of the Ndigbo.

Odigie-Oyegun, who described “perpetrators of hate-speeches, images and songs as worse than Boko Haram,” added that “the rising wave of hate speeches, negative religious and ethnic utterances and actions as is currently being experienced, is part of the fallouts of the 2015 presidential election.”

Apparently referring to the PDP he said, “Anyone participating in an election knows that there could only be two outcomes, you win or you lose. When you lose, you prepare for the next election. What we have seen however is that since 2015, some politicians and political groups have carried on as if they wished the country itself to collapse just because they are no longer in power. This is tragic indeed.”
Further lamenting that the song is “dangerous and despicable,” Odigie-Oyegun urged security agencies to without delay ensure that those behind the recording and other similar acts are uncovered and arrested “no matter who they are.”

He said, “Every ethnic based crises of whatever nature had started with hate speech. When people within the same country frame and define one another in the manner intended to set them up for violent attack, then they are setting themselves up for a major disaster.

Read also: IGBO HATE SONG: Jonathan fears for Nigeria’s future, wants security agencies to take action

“The merchants of hate don’t know or just don’t care about the consequences of the fire they are stoking in the country. But they have the experiences of other countries to learn from. Rwanda remains a classic example on our continent. However, even as terrible as Rwanda was, it would be nothing compared to what could happen if a huge country like Nigeria is allowed to fall into the disaster of hate-driven conflict. This is why we must all rise, regardless of our political differences and condemn these ugly and shameful acts with one voice.

“We cannot sit idle and watch a few disgruntled individuals destroy our democracy, and God forbids the nation that we all fought hard to achieve and build.”

The APC chairman therefore called on the Acting President Yemi Osinbajo to order security agencies to ensure that those behind despicable audio are arrested and brought to justice.

Critics have continued to blame the Federal Government failure to arrest Arewa youth leaders who issued a quit notice to the people of South East as warranting the more sinister hate song.

 

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