Lai Mohammed accusing me of stoking fire of insurrection totally fictitious, malicious – Obi

The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has berated the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, over his statement, accusing him of treason while on foreign tour. Obi noting that he was saddened on reading the press statement by the Nigerian Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, declared that the minister accusing him of stoking fire of insurrection is totally fictitious and malicious.
The Information Minister, Lai Mohamed, in a press statement, emphasised that Peter Obi and the LP vice presidential candidate, Yusuf Baba Datti-Ahmed, risk treason, by their inciting the citizens to revolt against the announcement of Sen. Ahmed Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the President-elect in the February 25 election.
Obi in a statement asserted that he has taken the legal route to recover his mandate and that he remains committed to that, adding that he is less perturbed about the Minister bandying around the word ‘treason’. According to Obi, “Any person ‘seeing’ treason in a clear legal process should explain to Nigerians how opting for the tribunal by myself and my Deputy amounts to treason.”
Obi, in the statement, declared: “In the past few days, I’ve 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.”
Obi scolded Lai Mohammed for his “recklessness” in projecting Nigeria in bad light in the international environment, noted that it was “utterly perplexing that a Minister would be busy travelling round the world, telling Nigerians that the purpose was to tell the world the true story of the Nigerian election.” He added that “it is laughable, against the background of the fact that most of those countries sent their people to monitor the elections and have all received reports from the monitors, as well as from their embassies.” Obi, therefore, asserted: “Between Lai Mohammed and their monitors/embassies, who would these countries believe?”
Obi decried: “such reckless behaviour, sponsored with tax payers’ money, was 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.”
The LP presidential candidate reiterated his belief in the Nigerian judiciary. He enjoined Nigerians to always be law-abiding and hopeful for the coming of the New Nigeria. Obi further declared: “I’m on record, as always, advocating peace and issue-based campaign, NOT a campaign based on ethnicity or religion. I’m committed to Due Process and presently seeking redress in Court.
“I urge those engaged in this demarketing process to stop presenting Nigeria in 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.”