‘Stop presenting Nigeria in such bad light’ – Obi replies Lai Mohammed, FG over treason accusation

Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the February 25 General Elections, Dr Peter Obi, has denied accusations of treason and insurrection accusations leveled against him by the Federal Government, as he asked those ‘presenting Nigeria in such bad light’ to stop.

Reacting to the accusation of inviting insurrection in the country made by Federal Government, Tuesday, Obi urged those involved in the ‘demarketing process’ to stop, as, according to him, ‘those initiating these actions have increasingly used their official positions and agents to make false allegations against me.’

Federal Government, had earlier Tuesday, accused the LP Presidential candidate, Obi and his running mate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, respectively, of ‘inviting insurrection’ in the country, as he accused the duo of treason against the government.

Speaking in Washington DC, United States, during his official engagement with some international media organisations, Tuesday, Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed described Obi’s comments on the just-concluded general elections as portraying the LP presidential candidate as ‘a desperate person,’ adding further that Obi ‘is not a democrat that he claimed to be.’

The minister further cautioned the Labour Party flag bearers from inciting people to violence over the outcome of the Presidential elections, stating that it was wrong for Obi to seek redress in court over the election results while also inciting people to violence in another.

“Obi and his Vice, Datti Ahmed cannot be threatening Nigerians that if the President-elect, Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is sworn in on May 29, it will be the end of democracy in Nigeria.

“This is treason. You cannot be inviting insurrection, and this is what they are doing. Obi’s statement is that of a desperate person, he is not a democrat that he claimed to be. A democrat should not believe in democracy only when he wins election,” he said.

According to Mohammed, neither Obi nor the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, had a chance of winning, as both ‘failed to meet the constitutional requirements to be declared as president.’

However, reacting to the accusation made by Mohammed, Obi insisted that he has ‘never discussed or encouraged anyone to undermine the Nigerian state,’ reiterating his commitment to following due process in the court processes challenging the February 25 election results.

Obi who was reacting via his verified Twitter handle (@PeterObi), Tuesday, wrote:

“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.

“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. –PO”

Obi and Atiku have separately filed petitions at the Presidential Elections Petitions tribunal in Abuja challenging the declaration of Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as president-elect by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

However, since the conclusion of the polls, the social media space has been awash with allegation and counter-allegations, especially between the LP and APC spokespersons.

The latest of which was a purported audio conversation between Obi and Founder of the Winners Chapel, Bishop David Oyedepo, which reportedly took place just before the February 25 poll, as the LP candidate is overheard begging the cleric to use his clout to influence his members to vote for him.

The LP candidate and his supporters, the party and Campaign Organisation have tended credible evidence showing that the conversation was doctored and manipulated to suit the narrative of the ruling APC party.

Before then, last week, following the airing of a live interview featuring Datti on Channels TV which had the LP Vice Presidential candidate, urge President Muhammadu Buhari not to swear in Tinubu on May 29 as the president-elect did not meet the constitutional requirement for such, the broadcast industry’s regulator, the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) fined the station the sum of N5 million for breach of operational guidelines and code.