Our presidential candidate is a peaceful, law-abiding person, LP replies FG

The Labour Party (LP) says Peter Obi, the flagbearer, is a
law-abiding and peaceful person.

Julius Abure, national chairman of the LP, in a statement on
Tuesday, said Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture, admonished the
party’s candidate in “bad faith” before the international media.

Abure alleged that the spokespersons of the All Progressives
Congress (APC) have engaged in “provocative utterances to cause chaos”.

Recall that the minister of information and culture during
an interview with some international media organisations on the just concluded
2023 polls accused Obi of inciting people to violence while seeking redress in
court over the outcome of the election.

 “My attention has
been drawn to a media report accredited to the minister of information and
culture, Alhaji Lai Muhammed to the effect that the presidential candidate of
the Labour Party, Peter Obi is inciting people to violence,” Abure said.

“The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai
Mohammed who was on a familiarisation tour of misinforming the international
community of the true political situation in Nigeria yesterday during his
official engagements with some international media organisations in Washington
DC admonished Mr Obi for weeping up sentiments across Nigeria.

“The Minister who engaged respectively with the Washington
Post, Voice of America, Associated Press and Foreign Policy Magazine said it
was wrong for Obi on one breadth to seek redress in court over the outcome of
the polls and on another breadth inciting people to violence.

 “Let me state
categorically that there are no basis for that admonition. Our presidential
candidate is a peaceful and law-abiding person. Despite the fact that the
election was provocatively rigged, he decided to be peaceful and toe the part
of justice.

“This in spite of all pressures from our supporters to move
into the street to protest the outcome of the general election and to reclaim
the mandate freely given to our candidate by the people, he has decided to calm
the nerves in order to give the judicial process a chance.

“The presidential candidate of the Labour Party is the only
candidate whose campaign was issues based. In spite of all provocation, it was
the Labour party and its candidate that was attacked in Lagos, in Portharcourt
and all other states in the federation. But we have continued to promote peace.

“Therefore, for the Minister of Information and Culture to
be admonishing our Presidential Candidate, was done in bad faith. We,
therefore, caution the Minister to desist from such utterances.

 “It is our considered
opinion that it is even the APC through their spokespersons and all others who
have been engaged in provocative utterances in order to cause chaos that should
be admonished. The admonition is largely for APC themselves, their
spokespersons and their officials.”