Alhaja Sinatu Ojikutu, the first female deputy governor of Lagos and Nigeria, has raised an alarm that her life is under threat over the election of former governor of Lagos State, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the President-elect.
She spoke to newsmen at her residence at Ikoyi, Lagos. She
said her problem with Tinubu started over 20 years ago when she opposed his governorship ambition. She said since then, all efforts to reach a truce with him has proved abortive. She recalled that there was a reconciliatory move attempted by former President Olusegun Obasanjo which also failed.
According to her, with the impending inauguration of Tinubu on May 29, her life is in danger.
She said, “I came out before the election to say that if former Governor Bola Tinubu won the election, I, Sinatu Aderoju Ojikutu, will renounce the citizenship of this nation and I have my reasons.
“When he won, people called me and said he had won, that he would not do anything bad to me but I know this man and I have known him for over 20 years now, I know what he has done to me personally.
“So calling this press conference is also to show that I am personally endangered by the current situation. I am endangered, I have been ostracized, humiliated in places where I should be honoured because of his (Tinubu) not being at peace with me.
“The last thing before the election was when it came to me that he was saying that am I still alive? When somebody mentioned my issue to him, I understand, he said, ‘Is she still around?’ What does that mean?
“What does he mean? I am alive, hale and hearty. Have they planned my death? Why should anybody be asking if I am still alive? Up till today since I raised that issue since January, none of his associates I have talked to has gotten back to me and this is giving me a personal concern. Am I safe? And there are many people like that in my category.’
“People have been saying that people do not like former governor Bola Tinubu but nobody has bothered to ask what of the people that Bola Tinubu does not like? It is a two-way thing.”
Ojikutu was a one-time member of the PDP who served at a time as a Federal Commissioner of the Federal Character Commission (FCC), disclosed that she once challenged Tinubu about how Lagos indigenes were being marginalised in his appointment and three months after he revoked the certificate of occupancy of her land at Victoria Island.
According to her, people cannot be talking of one Nigeria and at the same time denying a geopolitical zone the opportunity to have a shot in the number one seat.
“I have decided that before I am eliminated, I will come out and say what is in my mind. I hope to get the citizenship of a nation I can be happy in as corruption is endemic in this country. People are lobbying to occupy ministerial and other appointments. I am ashamed to call myself a former public officer.
“Nigeria is in a hopeless situation and when I heard Peter Obi speaking, I had no choice but to support him. Again, I am one of those who believe that it is time for South-East to get the presidency. If we say we want to remain one Nigeria, then we have to take equity into consideration.
“You cannot say that you are one Nigeria and you are suppressing a particular region. You don’t want them to get the presidency shot. If you don’t want them as number one, let them go. If you don’t want them to go, then give them the chance to be number one.
“Obi came out and said things that appealed to the youths. He said he would take care of the wastages that are not letting the nation develop. Many of us fell in love with what he said.”
So far, the APC presidential spokeswoman, Bayo Onanuga, is yet to respond to the issues raised by Ojikutu.