Obi flays Lai for orchestrating falsehood in a scripted charade
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Peter Obi has hit back at Information Minister Lai Mohammed for wasting tax payers’ money on foreign trips to rejig the tale of the 2023 election, to “demarket” him, and to falsely accuse him of treason in a blatant propaganda.
Many foreign countries sent personnel to monitor the election and have received reports from the monitors and from their embassies, Obi said, dismissing Mohammed’s campaign against him as based on a “fictitious and malicious” script.
“Between Lai Mohammed and their monitors/embassies, who would these countries believe?” the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate wondered.
“I am on record, as always, advocating peace and issue-based campaign, not a campaign based on ethnicity or religion. I am committed to due process and presently seeking redress in court,” Obi stressed in a statement he issued through his Media Aide, Valentine Obieyen.
“I urge those engaged in this demarketing process to stop presenting Nigeria in a 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. and this is possible.”
Obi was reacting to Mohammed’ allegation against him of treason and incitement when he addressed the media in Washington and made “fictitious and malicious” utterances.
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Wasting public funds on reckless behaviour
Obi reiterated he has taken the legal route to retrieve his “mandate” and is not he is not perturbed by Mohammed’s allegation, per reporting by The Nation.
“Any person ‘seeing’ treason in a clear legal process should explain to Nigerians how opting for the tribunal by myself and my Deputy [Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed] amounts to treason.
“In the past few days, I have observed various campaigns of calumny directed at my person, the latest being allegations attributed to the Information Minister, Lai Mohammed, in Washington DC.
“It is most unfortunate that these consistent efforts to portray me in a manner, quite contrary to what I am and my core values, are coming from such high quarters.
“Minister Lai accusing me of stoking the fire of insurrection is totally fictitious and malicious. I have never advocated or encouraged anyone to undermine the Nigerian state; I’ve never sponsored or preached any action against the Nigerian state.”
Why foreign countries don’t take Nigeria seriously
Obi urged highly placed Nigerians to avoid reckless statements, expressing surprise Mohammed is travelling round the world to rework the story of Nigeria’s recent election.
He dismissed the junket as laughable because many foreign countries sent their people to monitor the election and have received reports from the monitors, as well as from their embassies.
“Between Lai Mohammed and their monitors/embassies, who would these countries believe?”
Obi said such reckless behaviour, sponsored with tax payers’ money, is among the reasons those countries often do not take Nigeria seriously.
“The billions spent on those meaningless trips would be enough to fix several dilapidated schools in the country.”
He implored Nigerians to remain law-abiding and hopeful for a new Nigeria, insisting he is only fighting for due process.
