Alleged treason charge: FG, LP fight over Peter Obi’s leaked audio conversation

…LP debunks allegations, says Obi law-abiding, peaceful

…I never discussed or encouraged anyone to undermine Nigeria  — Obi reacts

…I neither confirmed nor admitted leaked conversation — Spokesperson

By Sodiq Adelakun

The Federal Government has accused a major opposition leader of treason; weeks after the candidate of the ruling party won a fiercely contested presidential election.

More controversies trailed the accusation of presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, of inciting people to violence over the outcome of the presidential elections, saying it is treasonable.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Mr Lai Mohammed had warned Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), against inciting violence over the outcome of the presidential elections.

Recall that Obi came third in the 25 February presidential election won by Bola Tinubu of the ruling APC.

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.

Meanwhile, reports revealed that Mr Mohammed is in Washington to engage with international media organisations and Think-tanks on the just concluded 2023 polls.

During the respective interactions with the media organisations, the Minister said it was wrong for  Peter Obi on one breadth to seek redress in court over the outcome of the polls and on another breadth incite people to violence.

“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.

The Minister said in challenging the election results, there was no pathway to victory for either Mr Obi or Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

According to the minister, both  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.

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

Elaborating on his mission to the U.S., Mr Mohammed said he was there to correct the negative narratives being promoted by naysayers and opposition to the election.

He said the opposition, having lost in the election, was alleging fraud, calling for its cancellation and constitution of an interim government.

“We have come here to balance that skewed narrative and to tell the world unambiguously that the just concluded general elections in Nigeria are the fairest, most transparent and authentic in the history of Nigeria.

“The election is the most fair and credible because of the introduction of Bimodal Voters Verification System (BVAS) which I regard as a game changer.

“BVAS technology had helped to weed out ghost and illegal voters, eliminate multiple voting and return sanity to the elections,” Mr Mohammed said.

Relying on the INEC report, the Minister said BVAS, during the polls, worked 97 per cent giving unparalleled credibility to the elections.

LP debunks allegations, says Obi law-abiding, peaceful

Meanwhile, the Labour Party (LP) has denied the allegation by the Federal Government that its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, incited Nigerians to violence over the outcome of the presidential election.

In a statement on Tuesday, the LP National Chairman, Julius Abure, said Obi is a law-abiding and peaceful person, stressing that the accusation against the former Governor of Anambra was to tarnish his image.

Abure stated that despite the fact that the election was provocatively rigged, the LP flagbearer has decided to be peaceful and to follow the part of justice. He added that the admonishing to Obi was done in bad faith.

The LP Chairman said it was the party and its candidate that was attacked in Lagos, in Port Harcourt and all other states in the federation, adding that it has continued to be peaceful.

He alleged that the spokespersons of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have engaged in “provocative utterances to cause chaos” and the government has failed to accuse them of a treasonable act.

He said, “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 during his official engagements with some international media organisations in Washington DC admonished Mr Obi for weeping up sentiments across Nigeria.

“The Minister who engaged respectively with the Washington Post, Voice of America, Associated Press and Foreign Policy Magazine said it was wrong for Obi on one breadth to seek redress in court over the outcome of the polls and on 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 to toe the part of justice.

“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 Port Harcourt 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 faith. 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.”

Recall that an audio clip released by online newspaper, Peoples Gazzete, has set social media on fire since Saturday.

In the audio, Obi was heard begging Oyedepo to help him mobilise Christian voters ahead of the election, especially those in the North Central states of Kwara, Kogi and Niger, declaring the election was a religious war.

The former Governor of Anambra State was repeatedly heard saying, ‘Yes Daddy,’ while the conversation lasted.

“Daddy, I need you to speak to your people in the South-West and Kwara, the Christians in the South-West and Kwara. This is a religious war. Like I keep saying: if this works, you people will never regret the support,” he said in the audio.

The audio generated so many reactions, not just on social media. While his supporters claimed the audio was doctored, Obi’s media team gave different accounts on the leaked conversation.

I never discussed or encouraged anyone to undermine FG  — Obi reacts

But the presidential candidate, who has a large following on the microblogging site, returned yesterday to congratulate the winner of an academic prize.

Hours after this, he reacted to the audio and the claim of Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, who accused him of treason.

“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 neither confirmed nor admitted leaked conversation — Spokesperson

However, in a statement via Instagram yesterday, Kenneth, the Spokesperson said his earlier statement neither confirmed, admitted, or denied the leaked conversation.

According to him, the speculation that he confirmed the audio is the words of propagandists, stressing he simply analysed the content of the conversation.

He added that the party is more concerned about recovering its mandate in court and ushering in a new Nigeria.

He said, “I don’t normally respond to the tweets and chats of ignorant men like a lot of people have been issuing out since the purported audio tape was released by whoever but this may keep them perpetually ignorant.

“Let me educate their ignorance. Go back and read my chat or tweet and check whether you will see confirmation or admission or denial. Those are their words and that of their propagandists, not mine. I simply analyzed the contents of the conversation and found absolutely nothing wrong with it. It’s immaterial whether it is anybody’s voice or not. Not that I care whether anybody said I confirmed or not, that’s their business.

“I am rather full of joy that before long, we will recover our mandate that will usher in a new Nigeria. Keep faith alive my friends, God is in control. Love you all.”