The first female democratically elected Deputy Governor in Nigeria, Alhaja Sinatu Ojikutu, has raised an alarm that her life is under threat over the election of former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the President-elect.
The former Deputy Governor under Sir Michael Otedola between 1992 and 1993 also declared that she had commenced the process of renouncing her Nigerian citizenship as she had promised to do if Tinubu emerged President.
The former number two citizen of the State told journalists at her residence in Ikoyi, Lagos, that 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.
There was no immediate reaction from Tinubu media team as Spokesperson of his Presidential Campaign Council, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, had not responded to our correspondent’s request for comment at the time of filing this report.
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, 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.
She stated that she supported the Labour Party (LP) Presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, because of her conviction that it was the turn of the South-East to produce the next President.
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.
Besides, she stated that she saw in Obi the readiness to tackle the rots in Nigeria and tackle the endemic corruption, youth unemployment, among others bedeviling the country, saying no sane Nigerian would vote for APC or the PDP in the election.
Ojikutu however tasked the judiciary, especially the Chief Justice of Nigeria to have the fear of God in adjudicating in the disputes arising from the Presidential election of February 25, 2023, saying he is confident that the judiciary would do the right thing.
Daily Trust