On Monday, the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Tinubu, was celebrated by party members and other Nigerians as he turned 69.
A Facebook user, Ikhide Ikheola and several other Nigerians have blasted former Lagos state governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, over a birthday message on a billboard at Lekki toll gate — the scene of the October 20 ‘Lekki Massacre’.
On Monday, the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Tinubu, was celebrated by party members and other Nigerians as he turned 69.
He had earlier arrived in Kano State to celebrate his birthday in the state.
However, a billboard at the Lekki toll gate displayed birthday wishes for the elder-statesman who donated the sum of N50 million to victims of a recent fire outbreak at Katsina Central Market in Katsina State while neglecting victims of fire outbreaks in Lagos or other southern states.
The user, Ikhide Ikheola wrote, “Dear Jagaban Asiwaju Tinubu, Happy 69th or 79th birthday. This breaks my heart, our sons and daughters were slaughtered here on 10-20-20. You are celebrating your birthday on a hallowed ground. Have you people no heart? Shame on you.”
Another user, Emmanuel Ofoche stated, “Yet such are men to be revered as an elder statesman? Men like Tinubu won't blink and can sacrifice the entire Yoruba race in furtherance of his 2023 ambitions. May the torments and pains suffered by those youths who gallantly stood for values never give Tinubu and his progenies rest till reparations are made. Their lives were cut in the prime by the state which seeks to keep it UNHOLY UNITY. They never understood that blood is sacred. Gradually, his comeuppance will surely visit him and his disgrace will be an eternal disgrace.”
For Joe Chibuisi, politicians like Tinubu succeed due to the ignorance displayed by Nigerians during elections.
He said, “The characters called politicians succeed in Nigeria because our people are gullible, naive and short-sighted. The same people queued for a pittance from bullion vans before the last elections. They even sell their voters' card which is their future for as low as #1, 000. Let us watch and see how this man's ambition will succeed.”
The killing of protesters at the Lekki toll gate has continued to be a sore subject of discourse in Nigeria as those behind the attacks have yet to be brought to justice.
Several youths had earlier protested against the reopening of the toll gate by the judicial panel set up in the state to investigate cases of police brutality.
An investigation by Amnesty International confirmed that the Nigerian Army and police killed at least 12 peaceful protesters on October 20, 2020, at two locations in Lagos.
According to their report, the killings took place at Alausa and Lekki, both suburbs of Lagos.
Videos on social media showed the Nigerian Army opening fire on unarmed peaceful #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki toll gate in Lagos after reportedly turning off the streetlights and jamming cell phone signals.