I have never encouraged anyone to undermine Nigeria - Peter Obi replies FG's treason accusation

Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party has reacted to remarks by the federal government that he incited people to violence over the outcome of the presidential elections.

Speaking during engagements with journalists in Washington DC in the United States, Information Minister, Lai Mohammed accused Obi of treasonable offenses.

According to him, it was wrong for Obi to seek redress in court over the 2023 presidential elections and later incite people to violence over the same issue.

Premium Times reports that the Information Minister has so far engaged respectively with the “Washington Post”, Voice of America, Associated Press and Foreign Policy Magazine.

In his reaction, Obi in a long thread faulted the falsehood being peddled by the ruling government as he stressed that he has been on record to have promoted peace despite the controversy that shrouded the presidential and national assembly elections.

Read his statement below

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

What did Lai Mohammed say?

“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.

According to the minister, both Messrs Obi and Atiku failed to meet the constitutional requirements to be declared as president.

“The constitution has stringent criteria for anybody who wants to be president of the country.

“Not only must he have the plurality of votes cast in an election, he must also have scored one-quarter of votes cast in at least 25 states.

“Only the president-elect met the criteria by scoring 8.79 million votes and having one-quarter of all the vote cast in 29 states of the federation,” he said.

The minister said Atiku came second with 6.9 million votes but was only able to make one-quarter of the votes cast in 21 states.

He said Mr Obi came third with 5.8 million votes but won only one-quarter of the votes cast in 15 states.

“You cannot win an election in a poll where you came a distant third position and failed to meet constitutional requirements.

“Peter Obi, while complaining of fraud, has not disowned his victory in Lagos,” he said.

Messrs Obi and Atiku are currently in court to challenge the results of the 25 February presidential election.

“A democrat should not believe in democracy only when he wins election,” he said.

Mr Obi came third in the 25 February presidential election won by Bola Tinubu of the ruling APC. Mr Obi and Atiku Abubakar who came second are, however, challenging the results of the election in court, saying the election and result collation was flawed. Both men have publicly called on their supporters to refrain from violence while they challenge the results in court.

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.

— Peter Obi (@PeterObi) April 4, 2023