Elder statesman and former federal minister of Information, Chief Edwin Clark has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to call the minister of information, Lai Mohammed to order for spreading fake news about the Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi.
Clark, who was reacting to Lai Mohamed’s recent media outing in the United States where he accused Obi of treason, said the minister did not base his information on any credible intelligence report from the state agencies, but on propaganda and falsity.
He added that rather than mention the names of those who have been raising this question of interim government the minister decided to drag Obi’s name who has been totally silent on the subject matter for cheap political gain.
The former minister, in a statement, yesterday added that utterances of the minister in the last eight years have tended to cause division in the country rather than create an atmosphere for Nigerians to live together as brothers and sisters.
The Niger Delta leader also lampooned the moves to gag and intimidate the press under the watch of the minister just as he faulted the recent five million naira fine slammed on the Channels Television without giving the station a fair hearing.
Reacting to Mohammed’s recent media outing in the United States, Clark said “So, for me to see what Lai Mohammed is doing with the office today is disappointing. His recent sojourn to the United States of America (USA), on the issue of Interim National Government (ING), to damage the reputation of Mr. Peter Obi’s rising profile, to me, is an effort in futility, because Lai Mohammed did not base his accusations on any report or information given by any state agency, but on mere propaganda targeted at destroying the reputation of an innocent citizen.
“If I may continue further, why will the Minister of Information take more than usual interest in not only scandalizing and lying against Peter Obi but using his privileged position to circulate same to the country and entire world. If we were to talk further about those who have held strong positions against the current political situation in the country; why has the Minister avoided to take notes of the views of other persons such as our respected elder statesman and colleague Chief Afe Babalola who stated thus as supported by Premium Times online news of April 18th 2022.
“It is criminal, unpatriotic and wicked for anyone to draw the name of Mr. Peter Obi who fully participated in the 2023 Presidential Election and who has gone to court to express his dissatisfaction with the outcome of the presidential election and his popularity which has spread to all part of the country as a wildfire has no doubt caused a great embarrassment to the Federal Government.
“What is being alleged as a discovery of a plot to overthrown the Federal Government by DSS is malicious and untrue.
“Finally, one cannot help but note that Lai Mohammed’s actions are targeted against perceived political opponents and enemies. I wish to strongly advice Mr. President to call his spokesmen to order. The nation is already too tensed; those whose responsibility it is to douse the tension should not be the ones stoking the embers of fire that will flame up the country.”
