By Chuks Oyema-Aziken
The Deputy-Governor of Lagos State, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, has added voice to Nigerians who have condemned allegations of ethnic profiling and voter intimidation against Musiliu Akinsanya better known as MC Oluomo.
MC Oluomo during a television appearance allegedly warned Igbo voters who would not cast their ballots for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to stay home
However, MC Oluomo, the Chairman of the Lagos State Parks Management Committee, came out to defend himself saying, he spoke in a playful tone and was addressing a lady called “Iya Chukwudi”, not the Igbo in Lagos.
Commenting on the issue, Hamzat on Channels Television, said MC Oluomo must face the law if there is evidence pointing to his culpability.
He said “I’m not calling for the arrest of anybody. I’m not a police officer; I’m not a prosecutor. People will look at the evidence.
“In the case of MC Oluomo, he has come out to say that he was actually referring to one woman that is Mama Chinedu, or something like that. There’s a video that shows that and that woman said, ‘He was talking to me and we’ve been friends or he’s been my customer for years.’
“[She said] that he was talking to her. So, I don’t know the facts, but people should examine the facts and if in truth he has broken the law, of course, he must pay for it. It’s as simple as ABC.”
According to him, it is “very unfortunate” that voters were profiled on election day and that people were not allowed to vote because of what they looked like.
“That’s absolute nonsense. If it happened and there are videos, people should be arrested and prosecuted. That’s the bottom line,” he said.
He described APC executive council members in the state who allegedly threatened voters who plan not to vote for the party as overzealous.
“Some people take things overboard, which is terrible. I have friends in Alaba Market. I was at Alaba Market and it was fun. There were Igbo APC members.
“So, for anybody to go and say, ‘Because you’re Igbo, you won’t vote,’ it’s just ridiculous. So, anybody that does that should be prosecuted. Bottomline. If it’s a crime, then people should pay for it.
“To assume that because someone is from one ethnic group, he’s going to vote one way is stupid,” he said.
