The National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Barrister Felix Morka, has dismissed as malicious and emotional blackmail media reports attributed to the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, claiming that his life is under threat.
Obi’s alarm came after Morka’s interview with Arise TV, where he accused the LP presidential candidate of peddling falsehoods, inciting Nigerians against the APC-led administration, and concluded by saying, “Mr. Obi has crossed the line so many times. I think that, at this point, he has coming to him whatever he gets. He should manage it.”
However, in a statement on Tuesday, the APC National Publicity Secretary clarified that his remarks were not a threat to the former LP presidential candidate but rather an emphasis on Obi’s tendency to lie about the ruling party and its performance in office.
“Obi must think of himself as Nigeria’s sacred cow, the super citizen quintessential, without blemish, beyond reproach, always right, never wrong, and endowed with the supreme and inalienable right to deride, castigate, intimidate, blackmail, and incite Nigerians against other political leaders who disagree with him, even those who defeated him decisively in the last general election. Mr. Obi is not entitled to any monolithic or exclusive constitutional or extraterrestrial liberty above any other citizen.
“There’s no doubt that Mr. Obi has crossed the line of truth in his many assessments. As a candidate for the office of president in the last general election, Mr. Obi made bold electoral promises to implement specific economic policies to tackle the country’s economic crisis. For example:
“Mr. Obi promised to abolish the system of fuel subsidy from day one. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu abolished the system of fuel subsidy on day one. Obi has continued to lambast and incite Nigerians against the Tinubu administration for doing exactly what he promised he would do if he were elected president. That is crossing the line of truth.
“Mr. Obi promised to abolish the dual foreign exchange rate system. President Tinubu has abolished the dual exchange rate system. Obi has continued to lambast and incite Nigerians against the Tinubu administration for doing exactly what he promised he would do if he were elected president. That is crossing the line of truth.
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“Mr. Obi promised to transform Nigeria from a consumer to a production economy. Under President Tinubu’s leadership, Nigeria now exports more petroleum and agricultural products than it imports, with a record of three consecutive quarters of massive trade surplus. Obi has continued to lambast and incite Nigerians against the Tinubu administration for doing exactly what he promised he would do if he were elected president. That is crossing the line of truth.
“Crossing the line of truth and peddling false narratives, coupled with an arrogant unwillingness to acknowledge obvious markers of progress, mobilizing outrage, and stoking tension against the government are not admirable hallmarks of leadership. Peter Obi’s constant flip-flops have crossed a critical line, exposing a disturbing lack of principled commitment. By altering his stance to suit his political interests and the drumbeats of vocal online supporters, Obi undermines his credibility and raises serious concerns about his leadership capabilities. Nigeria deserves opposition leaders who uphold principles and engage in fact-based critiques rather than indulge in opportunistic and manipulative politics. The trust of the people is sacred, and Obi’s vacillations demonstrate a willingness to sacrifice this trust for political gain.”
Morka further noted, “Mr. Obi’s allegation that I threatened his life is a self-evident malicious lie, an attention-seeking, playing-the-victim, emotional blackmail. His claim is patently false and reprehensible.
“By falsely claiming that I threatened his life, Mr. Obi has libeled me in the extreme and has incited his online mob to make death threats against me and members of my family. That is unacceptable. As a public figure, Mr. Obi bears a responsibility to provide accurate and truthful information. Instead, he has chosen to peddle falsehoods and mislead Nigerians in his quest for political currency and relevance.
“We call on Mr. Obi to immediately set the record straight, withdraw his false allegations against me, and call his online supporters to order. I stand ready to explore all available recourse mechanisms in valiant defense of my decency and impeccable reputation.”
