“I Believe LGBTQ People Deserve Equal Protection Under Our Constitution.” Nigerian Politician, Andy Obuoforibo, Declares

Nigerian Twitter went agog yesterday, Sunday 9th of December, when a Nigerian politician, Andy Obuoforibo, took a stance on LGBT issues that most people in that line of career have never taken.

Or taken and swiftly recanted. (Think Donald Duke and Oby Ezekwesili.)

Obuoforibo aired his views in response to an observation made by Twitter user, Temie Giwa-Tubosun (@temite) when she tweeted: “I don’t think there’s a Nigerian politician who believes that LGBTQ folks in Nigeria deserve equal protection under the law. It breaks my heart and it’s really unfortunate.”

The politician-cum-writer, who pens his thoughts in his self-titled blog and goes on twitter with the handle @andyRoidO, responded to the tweet, identifying himself as a Nigerian politician who “believes LGBTQ people deserve equal protection under our constitution. Hold me to this as I go up the ladder.” He also believes that “because LGBTQ Nigerians are a target of special hate, the upholding of their equal rights needs special enforcement.”

Check out his tweets below.

And predictably, in the aftermath of these bold statements, a Twitterstorm was unleashed, with Nigerian Twitter wading in with their varying thoughts on the matter; which was really the homophobes recycling dated and ignorant opinions and getting schooled by the proponents of LGBT rights.

Andy Obuoforibo says we should hold him to his words as he goes up the ladder. Well, as Olumide Makanjuola has already observed, we will be looking forward to seeing him go up the ladder and remind him of this day and his promise.

The internet – and Kito Diaries – never forgets.