‘Ethnic Irredentist’ — Moghalu Appears To Attack Fani-Kayode After ‘Lagos Belongs To Yoruba’ Comment
Kingsley Moghalu, a former presidential aspirant and ex-deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has cautioned Nigerians against retreating to “primordial worldviews” instead of making progress as a people.
Moghalu cautioned citizens against “ethnic irredentism” which has been described as a political movement that seeks to reunite a group of people who share a common ethnicity, culture, or language but who have been separated by political borders.
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While ethnic irredentism is seen as a powerful force for national identity, the concept has been credited as a major factor in the conflicts that have plagued Africa since the end of colonialism.
Moghalu, in a series of tweets on Sunday, appeared to criticize former aviation minister and chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Femi Fani-Kayode, after the latter declared that Lagos State belongs to Yorubas and must not be taken over by people of the Igbo ethnic group.
“I condemn ethnic irredentism of ANY type and done on behalf of WHICHEVER ethnic identity. While I am proud of my ethnic origin and culture, it does not make me superior to any other person of any other origin. We must associate as human beings that are God’s creation.
“Tribalism is primitive! As one of those who, as a #UN official and international lawyer prosecuted the architects of the 1994 Rwanda genocide in the late 1990s, I know much about this powerful evil. Nigerians should decide to make progress, not retreat to primordial worldviews,” Moghalu cautioned.
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Fani-Kayode, a 60-year-old lawyer and former presidential aide, has been campaigning against voting anyone with roots traceable to the Igbos of Nigeria’s South East region as next Lagos State governor.
In an article published via his blog on Sunday, Fani-Kayode said “the most important thing for the Yoruba to do today is to ensure that Babajide Sanwo-Olu is re-elected as Governor of Lagos state.
“Outside of that we are finished as a race and as a people.
“The Labour Party candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, whose mother and wife are Igbo and who is running a patently anti-Yoruba and pro-Igbo campaign, is one of those that burnt properties and buses during the Endsars riots.
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“He is also in bed with IPOB and is hell bent on imposing an unashamedly Igbo agenda on the people of Lagos state including removing all our Yoruba traditional rulers and imposing Igbo ones.”
The former minister added, “Would the Igbo allow any Yoruba man to do such a thing in the east?
“Our liberalism and willingness to accommodate others has become our biggest albatross.
“We gave them land, food and shelter and now they want to take everything from us and rule over us.
“They have even infiltrated our Churches and introduced a brand of religious intolerance which is alien to us.
“They want to deny us that which our forefathers built, fought and died for and they want to decimate our identity and redefine who we are!
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“Please take this very seriously and take note that it is beyond politics.
“Lagos is for Lagosians and Lagosians are YORUBA!”
