Politics
APC spokesman denies threatening Peter Obi
APC spokesman denies threatening Peter Obi
Felix Morka, National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has accused Peter Obi, Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the last election, of misleading the public.
Obi had raised the alarm that Morka threatened him over his New Year message to President Bola Tinubu.
“My New Year Message has now led to threats to my life, my family, and those around me. While I have received all sorts of messages, one Mr. Felix Morka has gone further to accuse me of “crossing the line” and has warned that I will face consequences,” Obi had tweeted.
The allegation of Obi had attracted comments from different quarters, with Atiku Abubakar, Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last election, accusing the ruling party of stifling opposition voices.
The Labour Party also told Tinubu to call Morka to order, demanding a probe of the alarm raised by Obi.
But in a statement on Tuesday, Morka said Obi’s allegation stemmed from his answer to a question during an interview on AriseTV’s THIS WEEK program on Saturday, January 4, 2025.
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“To be clear and for the record, Morka did not threaten Mr Obi or his family or those around him or anyone. Morka has absolutely no reason to, and has never, threatened Obi or anyone. Nothing that Morka said in that interview or any other forum remotely contains or suggests threat against Mr. Obi or anyone else, as the verbatim transcription of the relevant clip indisputably attests:
“Morka’s answer was in the exclusive context of the question. The last sentence of that answer that, “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”, was in specific and exclusive response to the question’s reference to “prophet of doom” and “voodoo economics”. Again, nothing in that sentence constitutes or suggests a threat to Obi or anyone.
“While everyone has a right to free speech, no one has a right to peddle misinformation or outright falsehood. The right to free speech granted by our country’s Constitution is not Mr. Obi’s exclusive right but a right that is available to all Nigerians, including Morka. Mr. Obi cannot disseminate misinformation and demand or expect that no one should disagree or challenge his false narrative.
“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, Mr. Obi has exercised his fundamental liberty to speak and disseminate his political views in person, in the formal and on social media.”
The APC spokesman claimed Obi leads a restless band of online mob who continue to attack, intimidate, bully and issue death threats to other citizens who dare disagree or criticize Obi or his opinions or position on any subject or matter of national conversation.
“Many eminent and highly respected elder statesmen have been serially attacked, humiliated and bullied by Obi’s online followers. Obi has never condemned their conduct or called them to order.”
“Obi must think himself to be 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 over and 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 very bold electoral promises to implement specific economic policies to tackle the country’s economic crisis.”
APC spokesman denies threatening Peter Obi
Politics
South-East may dump PDP over national secretary position
South-East may dump PDP over national secretary position
The crisis rocking the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has worsened as the South East caucus threatened mass exit if its choice of Sunday Udeh-Okoye as national secretary was not respected for the umpteenth time.
This comes as the Governor of Enugu State and leader of the party in the zone, Dr. Peter Mbah, rallied members of the party in the zone to speak with one voice.
Equally expressing disappointment at development in the party, Chairman, PDP Board of Trustees, Senator Adolphus Wabara, and former governor of Imo State, Chief Achike Udenwa, described the refusal of the party in allowing the zone to complete its tenure as secretary as disturbing anddisrespectful.
The zone vented its displeasure in a communique read by the Zonal Chairman, Chief Ali Odefa, at the end of a meeting by the South East Zonal Executive (ZEC) at the Government House, Enugu, yesterday.
It said the meeting was convened to nominate a candidate to complete the remaining term of the position of national secretary in line with the directive of the party’s National Working Committee, NWC, during its 600th meeting in Abuja.
Odefa said: “The South East ZEC exhaustively deliberated on the directive of the NWC and came to the conclusion that it offered a sure pathway to peace, unity, stability, and progress of our party. Consequently, the ZEC unanimously recommended Sunday Udeh-Okoye as the candidate to complete the term of office of the National Secretary.”
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The South East PDP, however, regretted that it had to go through the process of nominating Udeh-Okoye several times since October 2023, and urged the NWC to not only immediately ratify his nomination, but also ensure that Setonji Koshoedo effectively occupies the Office of the National Secretary in acting capacity pending Udeh-Okoye’s ratification by the NEC.
The South East PDP, however, threatened to review its continued membership of the party should its position suffer further delay despite its agelong loyalty to the PDP.
“The South East has consistently served as a stronghold of the PDP from inception. In PDP’s near three-decade existence, we have given our loyalty and all to the party.
“Currently, while the party has been losing key members post-2023 general elections, the South East PDP is at the vanguard of strengthening the party by rallying major opposition figures such as in Enugu where the Labour Party (LP) gubernatorial candidate, two LP House of Representatives Members, numerous members of the House of Assembly, among other stalwarts into the PDP fold.
“Therefore, we hope that this time around, the position of the South East PDP regarding the Office of the National Secretary is accorded the honour and immediacy it deserves. This would bring to a closure to the needless lingering dispute over the matter.
“However, in the event that our position is not promptly implemented by the Party, the South East PDP, as a family, will be compelled to reconsider our relationship with the PDP going forward,” the communique concluded.
Wabara, on his part, said it was in order to review the region’s relationship with the party should what he described as trampling of the zone by the party persist.
“We have been trampled upon, not taken seriously. If such a position were vacant in the South-South, it would not be like this. And now, it came to us. I mean, the usual thing is to play politics with the Igbo man. Yes, we may have to reconsider our stand as far as the party is concerned. But I trust the NWC,” he stated.
Udenwa, on his part, Udenwa said: “We are expecting that this issue will be finally ironed out once and for all. We do not want to be taken for granted by anybody again.”
South-East may dump PDP over national secretary position
Politics
Labour Party Chairman Abure vows to expose Obi, others
Labour Party Chairman Abure vows to expose Obi, others
National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, has fired back at critics within the party, including 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi and Governor Alex Otti of Abia State, over recent allegations of corruption and mismanagement.
Speaking on Tuesday in Abuja, Abure challenged his opponents to prove they gave him or the party any money during the 2023 elections. He denied ever receiving funds for personal use and warned that if provoked further, he would reveal damaging details about them.
“I want to challenge all of them. I saw some of them on television talking about corruption. Let any of them from Peter Obi down come forward and publicly declare what they personally gave to me or the party,” he said.
“Who brought the money? Who was it given to? Where was it sent? I challenge them today to come out boldly with or without evidence and say it. Otherwise, let them forever remain silent.”
Abure said he had kept silent until now in the interest of peace within the party. But he declared that the time for silence was over.
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“As a leader, I kept quiet thinking they were making mistakes and would eventually come around.
“When issues about election agents and funds came up, I said nothing because I believed I should accept the good, the bad, and the ugly within our fold.
“But now that some have crossed the line, I have no choice. If they provoke me further, I will reveal everything. When I open my mouth, they will stink like rotten eggs no one wants to touch.”
He also announced plans to hold a world press conference to address the growing internal crisis in the party.
Turning to Governor Alex Otti, Abure accused him of not contributing financially to the party during the elections.
“That governor who is jumping like a cricket from one point to another, we did not collect a dime from him. If he gave money to anyone, let him come forward and say so,” he said.
“When we met at Transcorp, he asked me, ‘Chairman, what do I do for you?’ I told him, ‘Nothing. Use your money for your campaign.’”
Labour Party Chairman Abure vows to expose Obi, others
Politics
Nigerians will decide 2027, Patience Jonathan told
Nigerians will decide 2027, Patience Jonathan told
A social reform group known as The Crusader has criticized former First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan over her recent comments concerning the 2027 presidential elections, asserting that her time in office diminished the stature of the First Lady position.
The group’s reaction followed Mrs. Jonathan’s remarks that she would campaign alongside current First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, and had no plans of returning to Aso Rock. Speaking through its spokesperson, Adesola Babafemi, The Crusader stressed that the decision on who emerges victorious in the 2027 elections remains solely with the Nigerian electorate—not Mrs. Jonathan.
“Dame Patience knows very well that if her husband, former President Goodluck Jonathan, decides to run for the presidency in 2027, it is Nigerians who will determine his fate,” Babafemi stated. He added that while Jonathan might still enjoy public support, “She will certainly never be the First Lady again, but people are ready to vote for him en masse.”
The group also praised Goodluck Jonathan’s younger wife, describing her as “refined, humane, and cerebral,” noting her legal background as fitting for the role of First Lady.
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Addressing recent developments, Babafemi pointed out that the current administration had restored properties seized from Patience Jonathan by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), questioning her sudden alignment with the ruling party.
“It is worth mentioning that the federal government has returned all properties seized from Dame Patience by the EFCC. This raises questions about her motivations and her alignment with the ruling party,” Babafemi noted.
The Crusader further urged Patience Jonathan to refrain from making public statements that suggest she speaks on behalf of the former president. Babafemi asserted, “We call on her to desist from implying that she is the spokesperson for the former president, a position she does not hold.”
Reflecting on her tenure from 2010 to 2015, the group accused Patience Jonathan of reducing the dignity of the Office of the First Lady through “theatrical actions,” adding that Nigerians are “tired of her attempts to influence political discourse.”
“Her tenure ridiculed the Office of the First Lady, and it is time for the public to recognize that her past actions do not reflect the values we need in leadership today,” the group stated.
As the 2027 elections approach, The Crusader emphasized that only Nigerians would decide the political future of the Jonathan family, irrespective of any public declarations by the former First Lady.
Nigerians will decide 2027, Patience Jonathan told
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