Labour Party presidential flag bearer, Peter Obi, has been described as undemocratic by the federal government in a statement by the minister of information and culture, Lai Mohammed.
During an official engagement with some international media organisations on Tuesday, the minister made this statement in Washington DC, United States.
He accused Obi and his running mate, Baba Datti-Ahmed, of treason, going by their comments about the outcome of the 2023 general elections in Nigeria.
Sahara Reporter reported that Mohammed said Obi’s comments on the just concluded general elections showed he was a desperate, undemocratic individual.
Obi had claimed that he won the election and that the Independent National Electoral Commission unjustly declared Bola Tinubu, the ruling All Progressives Congress candidate, the winner despite widespread reports of rigging and voter suppression.
Mohammed cautioned members of the society not to follow the inciteful rhetorics of the Labour Party flag bearers on the outcome of the Presidential elections.
The minister addressed that it was wrong for Obi to seek redress in court over the election results while inciting people to violence simultaneously.
“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,” he said.
“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 the democrat he claimed to be. A democrat should not believe in democracy only when he wins election.”
Recall that Obi, on a different platform, had disowned comments about him inciting violence in the country.
He is famous for saying, “Do not vote for me because of my tribe and religion.”
After the February 25 elections, Obi was seen in a social media video telling his supporters to remain calm.
Peter Obi, Labour Party's presidential candidate in Nigeria, has faced accusations of being undemocratic from the federal government. Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, made these allegations during a meeting with international media in Washington DC. He claimed Obi and his running mate, Baba Datti-Ahmed, committed treason by inciting violence over the 2023 general election results. Obi had asserted that he won the election and accused the Independent National Electoral Commission of unjustly declaring Bola Tinubu of the APC as the winner despite alleged rigging and voter suppression.
Mohammed warned against following the Labour Party's inflammatory rhetoric and criticized Obi for simultaneously seeking court redress and inciting violence. The minister labeled their actions as treasonous, stating that true democrats accept election outcomes whether they win or lose. Obi, who has advised his supporters to remain calm post-election, denied inciting any violence.
