Peter Obi speaks on treason allegation

Since he was caught on tape declaring the 2023 presidential election a "religious war", Mr Obi had remained silent on social media, leaving his aides to address the matter.

The Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has denied the treason allegation levelled against him by the federal government, a few days after a leaked audio where he described the 2023 presidential election as a ‘religious war.’

Since the audio conversation was released, Mr Obi had remained silent on social media, leaving his aides to address the matter.

However, on Tuesday, he took to Twitter, a microblogging site, to subtly comment on the issue while addressing allegations of treason made by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed. He said he had observed deliberate moves to de-market him by various persons including officials of the Nigerian government.

“In the past few days, I have observed various campaigns of calumny directed at my person, with the latest being allegations attributed to the Information Minister, Lai Mohammed from Washington DC,” he said. “It is most unfortunate that these consistent efforts to portray me quite contrary to what I am, and my core values, are coming from such high quarters. Minister Lai accusing me of stoking insurrection is totally malicious and fictitious.”

He also noted that “I have never discussed or encouraged anyone to undermine the Nigerian state; I have never sponsored or preached any action against the Nigerian state. Those initiating these actions have increasingly used their official positions and agents to make false allegations against me.”

On Saturday, a leaked telephone conversation between Mr Obi and influential cleric David Oyedepo was published by People’s Gazette. In the audio clip, the LP candidate asked Mr Oyedepo to help spread his message to Christians in the South-west and parts of North-central, noting that the just concluded presidential election was a “religious war.”

“Daddy, I need you to speak to your people in the South-West and Kwara, the Christians in the South-West and Kwara,” Mr Obi was heard saying in the leaked audio clip. “This is a religious war.”

A few days after the audio was published, on Tuesday, information minister Lai Mohammed accused Mr Obi of inciting Nigerians against one another.

Alleging treason, Mr Mohammed said it was wrong for Mr Obi on one breadth to seek redress in court over the outcome of the polls and on another breadth incite people to violence.

Mr Obi and Atiku Abubakar of the PDP are challenging the outcome of the 25 February presidential election won by Bola Tinubu of the ruling APC. They have filed petitions at the election tribunal with each of them seeking to be declared the winner of the election.

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