The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has demanded the immediate reopening
of a major market in Nigeria’s economic capital, Lagos, shut a week ago in a bid to force the traders to register as members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the party’s nationwide membership drive.
Iponri market in mainland Lagos was shut by policemen mobilised by Mrs. Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, daughter of APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whom he previously installed as the Iyaloja (President- General of Market Traders) of Lagos. She ruled that the market would be reopened only if the traders produced their APC membership cards.
Reacting to News Express’ second story on the issue in four days, Acting National Publicity Secretary of APGA, Mr. Stanley Chira, said this afternoon: “APGA condemns this act of impunity by Tinubu’s daughter in the strongest term. Iyaloja is not the governor of the state; she is not the commissioner in charge of markets; neither is she a security personnel. So there is no basis or empowerment that gave her such powers to become an empress to lord it over the affairs of Nigerians living in Lagos. She may be intimidating the governor of Lagos State but she should not extend it to places of interest to APGA and Umuigbo.”
Stressing that the market closure is adversely affecting the fortunes of innocent traders, many of whom are Igbos, Chira said: “APGA is calling on Governor Babatunde Fashola to call Mrs. Folashade Tinubu-Ojo to order. She should not rekindle the anger of Ndi Igbo experienced during the deportation saga of last year. Enough of this tendency to treat Ndi Igbo as second-class citizens.”
