Peter Obi, the Labor Party (LP) presidential candidate in the recently concluded election, accused Culture and Information Minister Lai Mohammed of misinforming the international community about real political developments. in Nigeria.
Nigerian information reported that, during the Minister’s official contacts with a number of international media outlets, Mr. Peter Obi warned not to incite people to riots before the results of the presidential election this year. now.
In conversations with the media, the minister said it is wrong for Obi to seek compensation in court on the one hand for the results of the poll and on the other hand to incite people to violence.
“Obi and his Vice President, Datti Ahmed, cannot threaten the people of Nigeria that if the President-elect, Bola Tinubu of the All Progressive Congress (APC) is sworn in on May 29, then democracy in Nigeria would be a betrayal. You can’t invite rebellion, and that’s what they do.
“Obi’s statement is from a desperate man, he is not a Democrat as he claims to be. A democrat should not believe in democracy only when he wins the election,” said Mohammed.
However, in a statement on Tuesday via his Twitter account, the former Anambra governor reaffirmed his commitment to maintaining due process safeguards and seeking redress in court.
“In the past few days, I have observed various campaigns of calumny directed at my person, with the latest being allegations attributed to the information Minister, Lai Mohammed from Washington DC,” Obi said.
“It is most unfortunate that these consistent efforts to portray me quite contrary to what I am, and my core values, is coming from such high quarters. Minister Lai accusing me of stoking insurrection is totally malicious and fictitious.
“I have never discussed or encouraged anyone to undermine the Nigerian state; I have never sponsored or preached any action against the Nigerian state.
“Those initiating these actions have increasingly used their official positions and agents to make false allegations against me. I am on record as always, advocating for peace and issue-based campaign and never campaigned based on ethnicity or religion.
“I am committed to due process, and presently seeking redress in the Court. I urge those engaged in this demarketing process to stop presenting Nigeria in such bad light.
“Our future generations deserve a new Nigeria, where they can live a secure and decent life like their counterparts in other climes. It is possible.”
Similarly, the national chairman of the Party, Julius Abure, while reacting to Mohammed’s treason allegation, said there is no basis for that admonition.
According to him, Obi has sued for calm even when his supporters have been calling for a nationwide protest.
“Our presidential candidate is a peaceful and law-abiding person. Despite the fact that the election was provocatively rigged, he decided to be peaceful and toe the part of justice. This in spite of all pressures from our supporters to move into the street to protest the outcome of the general election and to reclaim the mandate freely given to our candidate by the people, he has decided to calm the nerves in other to give the judicial process a chance.
“The presidential candidate of the Labor Party is the only candidate whose campaign was issues based. In spite of all provocation, it was the Labor party and its candidate that were attacked in Lagos, in Port Harcourt and all other states in the federation. But we have continued to promote peace,” Abure said.
He said that, for the Minister of Information and Culture to be admonishing their presidential candidate, was done in bad fate, thus the Minister should desist from such utterances.
Abure said,
“It is our considered opinion that it is even the APC through their spokespersons and all others who have been engaged in provocative utterances in other to cause chaos that should be admonished. The admonition is largely for APC themselves, their spokespersons and their officials.”
