Adeyanju warns no harm, persecution should visit Obi
The attempt, on Sunday, by the National Publicity Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Felix Morka, to counter Peter Obi’s critical stance on the governance of the country is raising more dust than expected.
It has now pitted the opposition Labour Party (LP) on whose platform Obi contested the 2023 presidential election against APC’s Bola Tinubu and others. Morka had said Obi “crossed the line”, which the latter and his supporters interpreted as a threat to life; hence, LP called on President Tinubu to publicly reprimand Morka over the alleged threat on Obi.
In the same vein, activist and human rights lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, warned APC leadership against any harm or persecution of Obi. Morka, while cautioning Obi, yesterday, against misinforming Nigerians on the issue, maintained that the claim that his life was being threatened over his outburst against the Tinubu-led administration was a self-evident malicious lie and emotional blackmail.
He stated, “By falsely claiming that Morka threatened his life, Obi has libelled Morka in the extreme and has incited his online mob to make death threats against Morka and members of his family. That is unacceptable.”
APC called on Obi to immediately set the record straight, withdraw his false allegation against Morka and call his online supporters to order, adding that Morka “stands ready to explore all available recourse mechanisms” in valiant defence of his decency and impeccable reputation.
The party stressed that, as its spokesperson, Morka would continue to hold Obi and other opposition actors accountable for their actions, just as they seek to, and should, hold APC and the Tinubu-led administration accountable, when truth and public trust are compromised.
The APC spokesperson admitted that his answer on Arise TV was in the exclusive context of a question. He had said, “I am not somebody to go on the offensive in that manner, but Mr Obi has crossed the line so many times and I think that at this point he has coming to him, whatever he gets, he needs to manage it” in response to the question’s reference to “prophet of doom” and “voodoo economics”.
Morka insisted that nothing in that sentence suggested a threat to Obi or anyone, adding:
“Ours is a democracy where every citizen, irrespective of political affiliation, is entitled to agree or disagree with other political views or opinions. More than any other Nigerian in this political dispensation, Obi has exercised his fundamental liberty to speak and disseminate his political views in person, in the formal and on social media.”
DIRECTOR-GENERAL, LP Directorate of Mobilisation and Integration, Marcel Ngogbehei, said reprimanding Morka publicly was necessary to demonstrate the President’s commitment to respecting democratic values, promoting peace and stability, and upholding global democratic standards.
Ngogbehei said the recent statements from Morka on Obi went beyond political rivalry and pose a direct threat to the country’s democracy, peace and unity. In an open letter, yesterday, the LP chieftain, while reminding Tinubu of the freedom of expression he enjoyed during his days as an opposition, wondered why Obi would be threatened for just airing his opinion on the state of the nation.
“With all due respect, I write to you in my capacity as the Director-General of the Labour Party Directorate of Mobilisation and Integration. LP has stood firm as the leading opposition party in Nigeria and we wish to express grave concern over the recent unguarded and threatening remarks made by Morka.
“Your Excellency, you are uniquely positioned to appreciate the significance of a vibrant opposition in a democratic system. Your political career is a testament to the critical role opposition plays in ensuring accountability, fostering development and strengthening democracy. As a leader in the opposition for many years, you and the APC were beneficiaries of the freedoms and protections afforded by Nigeria’s democratic system under the then President Goodluck Jonathan, which allowed you to challenge the status quo and ultimately ascend to power,” the letter reads.
Further, Ngogbehei noted that the statements from Morka were not only a threat to the life of Obi but also an affront to the values of free speech, constructive criticism and political pluralism.
Obi had in his New Year’s message on Wednesday, January 1, 2025, said “corruption has been deeply entrenched in government” while “nepotism has become the norm under Tinubu’s watch.”ADEYANJU, in a statement, yesterday, condemned the alleged threat to Obi, warning that no harm or persecution must come to him.
According to the rights lawyer, criticising and holding the government accountable cannot be a crime but should be commended as the greatest sign of patriotism.
He stated, “I condemn the threat to Obi’s life for being a voice of opposition in Nigeria. No harm or persecution must come to him. Criticising and holding the government accountable cannot be a crime but must be commended as the greatest sign of patriotism.
“Nigeria is sinking into a full-blown dictatorship and one-party state before our very eyes and all the concerns of Obi are timely and spot on.”
