The Pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, on Wednesday, faulted the Federal Government for distorting facts over the credibility of the February 2023 Presidential election and the treason allegation.
This is as the group also belittled the incumbent government for tagging comment by the opposition party as “treason”, describing it as “becoming most foreboding, ominous and tantamount to justifying its imminent clampdown.”
The group, in a statement signed by its Secretary General, Chief Sola Ebiseni, and made available to newsmen in Akure, the Ondo state capital, condemned the Minister of Information for choosing a foreign land to taint sacred facts about the last Presidential election in the country.
The statement by the group read: “It is more appalling that government officials unashamedly chose the foreign land for their macabre dance.
“The Minister of Information falls in this unenviable class with his current visits and interviews in the United States of America to taint sacred facts about the 2023 Presidential election.
”Whereas the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission in the glare of the whole world had admitted the failures of the statutorily prescribed components of the electoral process.
” Lai Mohammed falsely stated that “the just concluded general elections in Nigeria is the fairest, most transparent and authentic in the history of Nigeria,” before an audience that knows the truth to the contrary and have so expressed in their editorials”
Reacting to Lai’s treasonable comments, Afenifere said the Minister “may need to rewind his own past statements particularly the interview he granted Sani Tukur of Premium Times on April 27, 2013 wherein he said “Democracy will fail in Nigeria unless APC wins in 2015”. His principals did not fare better.
“The threats and declaration of comments of members of the Opposition as treason by the Buhari administration is becoming most foreboding, ominous and tantamount to justifying its imminent clampdown.
“It is ridiculous that the same government that permissively watched leaders and spokespersons of the ruling party and their thugs openly execute their treasonable acts against the people and the democratic process in flagrant disrespect for the constitution would expect the descent world to take it serious in its shameful sanctimonious preaching on allegation of treason.
”In sum, it is clear that the burden of democracy where Nigerians, particularly the youths, have insisted that things be now done differently and rightly is too weighty for this government and its agents.
Afenifere noted that ” Unfortunately, Lai Mohammed, in America, has chosen the wrong congregation for its antidemocratic sermons.”
