The Labour Party (LP) has accused the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, of misinforming the international community.
LEADERSHIP reports that the federal government, through the Minister of Information and Culture, had accused Peter Obi and his running mate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, of treason, during an engagement with journalists in the US.
But, reacting to the Minister’s position, the national chairman of the Labour Party, Barr. Julius Abure, said that it was the All Progressives Congress (APC) spokesmen that were heating up the polity and not LP.
“My attention has been drawn to a media report accredited to the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Muhammed to the effect that the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi is inciting people to violence.
“The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed who was on a familiarisation tour of misinforming the international community of the true political situation in Nigeria yesterday.
“The Minister who engaged respectively with the Washington Post, Voice of America, Associated Press and Foreign Policy Magazine said it was wrong for Obi in one breadth to seek redress in court over the outcome of the polls and in another breadth inciting people to violence.
“Let me state categorically that there is no basis for that admonition. 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 order to give the judicial process a chance.
“The presidential candidate of the Labour Party is the only candidate whose campaign was issues based. In spite of all provocation, it was the Labour party and its candidate that was attacked in Lagos, in Portharcourt and all other states in the federation. But we have continued to promote peace.
“Therefore, for the Minister of Information and Culture to be admonishing our Presidential Candidate, was done in bad fate. We therefore caution the Minister to desist from such utterances. 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 order to cause chaos that should be admonished. The admonition is largely for APC themselves, their spokespersons and their officials,” Abure said.
For his part, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has reacted to the what he called various campaigns of calumny directed at him by some government and political party spokespersons and warned that they should stop their de-marketing process that is presenting Nigeria in a very bad light.
Obi said in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja that, “In the past few days, I’ve observed various campaigns of calumny directed at my person, the latest being allegations attributed to Information Minister Lai Mohammed from Washington DC.”
The Labour Party standard bearer added, “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 malicious and fictitious.
“I have never discussed or encouraged anyone to undermine the Nigerian state; I’ve 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’m on record as always advocating peace and issue-based campaigns and not campaigning based on ethnicity or religion.
“ I’m committed to due process and am presently seeking redress in Court. I urge those engaged in this demarketing process to stop presenting Nigeria in such a 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.”
