By Lateef Adegbite
Peter Obi , a former governor of Anambra state and Labour Party, LP, Presidential Candidate for the 2023, general election, romance with the youths who are rooting for him to be the next Nigerian President after Muhammau Buhari, on May 29, 2023, appears to be giving the All Progressive Congress, APC, a cause for concern.
This is because the APC Leadership and close Associates of the Katsina state born Nigerian President, particular, Lai Mohammed, minister of Information and Culture, have risen up to the challenge to rope the former Anambra state governor in, and give room to Usman Alkali Baba, the Inspector General of Policce, IGP, and Yusuf Magaji Bichi, led Department of State Service, DSS, the opportunity to arrest and detain him alongside Senator Datti Bba-Ahmed, the Vice Presidential Candidate.
Lai Mohammed, a close political ally of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos state and President-elect , may have taken advantage of his recent visit to the North American country of the United State,US, and engagement with some International Media Organisations in Washington DC, the US, Capital, to speak out against the LP, Presidential Candidate.
In an emotional outburst, the Kwara state born politician was said to have opened up on the former Anambra state governor who has won the heart of the Nigerian, claiming that he is inciting people to violence over the outcome of the February 25, 2023, Presidential election which he lost to Tinubu, the APC,flag bearer.
The minister may have sent a message to Obi, the LP, Presidential Candidate and his Vice Presidential Candidate that if they don’t stop inciting the people to violence over the outcome of the 2023, Presidential election, they will be arrested.
Mohammed, may have spoken the mind of the party Leadership and the Katsina state born Nigerian President during his interaction with the Washington Post and Associated Press and Voice of America, Correspondents that ‘’it was wrong for the LP Candidate in the just concluded Presidential election in Nigeria to seek redress in Court over the outcome of the polls and on another breadth inciting people to violence which is an offence against the state’’. He may have made it clear to the LP, Candidate, and Baba-Ahmed, his Vice Presidential Candidate, in the 2023, Presidential election that they cannot be ‘’inviting insurrection’’ and would not be arrested for treasonable felony.
The minister may have made it clear to the duo that in challenging the outcome of the 2023, Presidential election, there is no pathway to their victory , insisting that Tinubu, the APC , Candiate won the election, an indications that he would be sworn on May 29, 2023, by Justice Ariwola Olukayode, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN.
In apparent reaction to Mohammed’s, claims that Obi and his Vice Presidential Candidate, Baba-Ahmed are inviting violence in the country over the outcome of the just concluded Presidential election, the LP Candidate has ‘’denounced the allegations and tensions over a purported plot to install an interim government’’.
An aggrieved Ob said he has’’ never discussed or encouraged anyone to undermine the Nigerian state and will never sponsor or preach any action against the Nigerian state’’. The LP Candidate who could not hide his feelings had said that ‘’those initiating the actions have increasingly used their official positions and agents to make the false allegations against him to give them room to actualise their dream of installing an interim government.
He noted that he can never be associated for inviting violence when he is committed ‘’to due process and presently seeking redress in Court’’, to reclaim his mandate freely given to him b Nigerians. Appealing to those engaged in ‘’this demarketing process’’, to stop presenting Nigeria in such bad, light, insisting that future generations deserve a new Nigeria, where they can live a secured and decent life like their Counterparts in other parts of the world’’.
Obiagali Ezekesili , a former minister of Education , during Obsanjo’s Administration, who may not found it funny of the plot to arrest and etain the LP, Presidential Candidate, for the 2023, election, over treason allegation s , has attacked Mohammed, the minister of Information and Culture, saying that accusing Obi and his running mate of inviting violence in the country ahead of the handover date on May 29, 2023, is ‘’the height of sophistry and thoughtless talk and abuse of pow stressing that the duo has taken the right judicial processes in contesting the result of the Presidential election in Court’’.
The former minister of Education who was emphatic that Buhari ‘’ conducted a fatally flawed election’’ and instead of circumspection , Mohammed, the minister of Information and Culture at the instance of the President, want ‘’to cower the people and Prof Mahmood Yakubu led Independent National Electoral Commission , INEC, declared President- elect opponents who are aggrieved.
Given the tension in the country ahead of the May 29, 2023, handover date to the next Nigerian President may have informed why the Federal government has allowed some United United Nations, UN, Peace keeping vehicles and equipment to be deployed to Benin, Edo state , which the people see as a threat to forestall them from rioting on May 29, 2023, that may disrupt the handover process.
But the Defence Headquarters in a Statement signed Tikir Gusai, an Brigadier General, the acting Director of Defence Information, may have doused the tension by telling the people that there was no cause to worry as ‘’the country is contributing troops to various UN, Peace Keeping Operations for Abyei in Southern Sudan. Lucky Irabor , an Army Genera and Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, was said to have told those that cares to listen that the country is not under any threat that will warrant the deployment of UN, troops to any state of the Federating states.
The APC, dominated 9th National House of Representatives believe that that the Obi and his supporters are trying to cause trouble in the country to give room for the government to install an interim government on May 29, 2023. The Lawmakers had said that doing such a thing is capable of truncating the nation’s young democracy and causing anarchy across the country.
Worried that the country is heading towards violence ahead of the May 29, 2023, handover date, may have informed why the House has asked the security agencies to be on the red alert, warning aggrieved parties, particular, LP and the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, to wait for the outcome of the litigations before the Court and Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.
Ademorin Kuye, one of the Lawmakers, may have alluded to Former President Olusegun Obasanjo as one of the prominent Nigerians gingering Obi, the LP, Candidate, to have the impression that he won the 2023, Presidential election, accusing him of his culpability for calling for the cancellation of the Presidential election results and installation of an interim government.
