ABUJA – Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar and the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday clashed over the Occasion’s menace in opposition to the presidential candidate of Labour Occasion, Peter Obi.
Atiku, in a press release mentioned that the inflammatory remarks issued by the Publicity Secretary of the APC, Felix Morka, directed at @PeterObi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Occasion within the final normal election, function a disturbing emblem of the present administration’s unsettling technique in addressing opposition figures.
“This menace in opposition to Obi, coupled with the extended detention of Mahdi Shehu, a outstanding voice of dissent and others, alerts a worrisome shift in the direction of an authoritarian governance mannequin, the place the rights of opposition voices are being suffocated,” Atiku mentioned.
Recall that Peter Obi had on his verified official X deal with, alleged, “my New Yr Message has now led to threats to my life, my household, and people round me. Whereas I’ve acquired all kinds of messages, one Mr. Felix Morka has gone additional to accuse me of ‘crossing the road’ and has warned that I’ll face penalties.”
APC, in a press release on Tuesday, mentioned that Morka didn’t threaten Mr Obi or his household or these round him or anybody, including that Morka has completely no purpose to, and has by no means, threatened Obi or anybody.
“Nothing that Morka mentioned in that interview or every other discussion board remotely comprises or suggests menace in opposition to Mr. Obi or anybody else, because the verbatim transcription of the related clip indisputably attests,” the get together mentioned.
Atiku, in a press release mentioned: “The selection of phrases utilized by the APC’s spokesperson, significantly the ominous suggestion that Obi has ‘crossed the road,’ reveals an alarming disdain for democratic rules.
“Such language, rooted in hostility, has no place in a free society the place civil discourse and engagement ought to reign supreme. A real democracy thrives on the wholesome change of concepts, the place the criticisms and contributions of opposition leaders, like Peter Obi, are seen as important for the betterment of governance and the promotion of public accountability.
“It’s not merely the proper, however the solemn obligation of a democratic authorities to hear attentively to the voices of its critics, to interact in significant dialogue, and to permit house for the articulation of different viewpoints. As a substitute, we’re confronted with a chilling menace that means Obi should “be prepared for no matter comes his means.” What, precisely, does Mr. Morka suggest by this? It’s crucial that the ruling get together gives readability on this disturbing insinuation.
“Equally troubling is the crude and disparaging method during which the APC spokesperson has framed Peter Obi’s requires constructive engagement, likening them to a lawless Wild West state of affairs. Such reckless and derogatory expressions can’t be tolerated, and it’s incumbent upon the APC to concern a proper apology to Obi and the Nigerian folks for such disgraceful language,”
He additional mentioned that “the case of Mallam Shehu, languishing in detention with none clear clarification for his continued imprisonment, provides to the rising concern in regards to the erosion of freedoms in Nigeria. If there may be anybody who has actually ‘crossed the road,’ it’s the Tinubu administration, whose steady vilification of opposition figures as mere irritants to be crushed is a harmful precedent.”
Atiku known as on all women and men of goodwill to intervene, urging the @officialABAT authorities to recalibrate its strategy to coping with dissent and opposition.
“The time has come to place an finish to this stifling of voices which can be essential to the well being of any functioning democracy,” he mentioned.
APC, in a press release by its spokesman, Felix Morka defined what transpired throughout the interview, including that nothing within the interview constitutes or suggests a menace to Obi or anybody.
“Whereas everybody has a proper to free speech, nobody has a proper to hawk misinformation or outright falsehood. The best to free speech granted by our nation’s Structure just isn’t Mr. Obi’s unique proper however a proper that’s obtainable to all Nigerians, together with Morka. Mr. Obi can’t disseminate misinformation and demand or anticipate that nobody ought to disagree or problem his false narrative.
“Ours is a democracy the place each citizen, no matter political affiliation, is entitled to agree or disagree with different political opinions or opinions. Greater than every other Nigerian on this political dispensation, Mr. Obi has exercised his basic liberty to talk and disseminate his political opinions in particular person, within the formal and on social media,” APC mentioned.
The get together additional mentioned that “Obi leads a stressed band of on-line mob who proceed to assault, intimidate, bully and concern loss of life threats to different residents who dare disagree or criticize Obi or his opinions or place on any topic or matter of nationwide dialog. Many eminent and extremely revered elder statesmen have been serially attacked, humiliated and bullied by Obi’s on-line followers. Obi has by no means condemned their conduct or known as them to order.
“Obi should assume himself to be Nigeria’s sacred cow, the tremendous citizen, quintessential, with out blemish, past reproach, at all times proper, by no means unsuitable, and endowed with the supreme and inalienable proper to deride, castigate, intimidate blackmail and incite Nigerians in opposition to different political leaders who disagree with him, even those that defeated him decisively within the final normal election. Mr. Obi just isn’t entitled to any monolithic or unique constitutional or extraterrestrial liberty over and above every other citizen.
“There’s little doubt that Mr. Obi has crossed the road of fact in his many assessments. As a candidate for the workplace of President within the final normal election, Mr. Obi made very daring electoral guarantees to implement particular financial insurance policies to sort out the nation’s financial disaster. For instance:
“Mr Obi promised to abolish the system of gas subsidy from day one. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu abolished the system of gas subsidy on day one. Obi has continued to lambast and incite Nigerians in opposition to the Tinubu administration for doing precisely what he promised he would do if he was elected president. That’s crossing the road of fact.
“Mr. Obi promised to abolish the twin overseas change charge system. President Tinubu has abolished the twin change charge system. Obi has continued to lambast and incite Nigerians in opposition to the Tinubu administration for doing precisely what he promised he would do if he was elected president. That’s crossing the road of fact.
Mr. Obi promised to rework Nigeria from a shopper to manufacturing economic system. Underneath President Tinubu’s management, Nigeria now exports extra petroleum and agricultural merchandise than it imports with a document of three consecutive quarter huge commerce surplus to indicate. Obi has continued to lambast and incite Nigerians in opposition to the Tinubu administration for doing precisely what he promised he would do if he was elected president. That’s crossing the road of fact.”
