Presidency has urged Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), in the 2023 general election to be mindful of what he says in his assessment of the current administration.
Bayo Onanuga, Presidential Spokesman, writing on his X handle, also charged the frontline politician to ” restrain from playing to the gallery”.
Onanuga, in a reaction to Peter Obi’s remarks on the way democracy has been managed at Emeka Ihedioha’s 60th birthday colloquium in Abuja, stated that Obi would not have been able to make such comments in the public, if indeed democracy has collapsed in Nigeria as he claimed.
He noted that Obi’s statements were made without deep reflection and lacked logical foundation.
Recall that Peter Obi had earlier upbraided the Tinubu administration over the decision to release the Local government funds to the Rivers interim administrator, in violation of the Supreme Court orders that insist on having a properly elected administration before the funds are released.
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Obi had wondered why the President ordered the release to an interim government without first conducting a proper election that would have produced leaders at the third tier before the release of the councils funds in line with the constitutional requirements
President Bola Tinubu had earlier declared a State of Emergency in Rivers and sacked Governor Simi Fubara, for allegedly failing to amongst others things, implement the judgement of the Supreme Court
But Onanuga, while reacting to Peter Obi’s comments said “I listened multiple times to former Governor Peter Obi’s statement in this clip, where he claims that democracy has collapsed in Nigeria.
“His hyperbolic remarks, suited for headlines, have been made without deep reflection and lack a solid logical foundation.
” How can a democracy that has strengthened over the past 26 years be said to have collapsed? Only a discontented and disgruntled Peter, who benefits from the very free speech democracy provides, could perceive such a democratic downfall through his lens.
” If democracy had indeed collapsed, as Peter claims, and we were living under a regime antithetical to democratic principles, he would not have been able to make his comments on Monday at Emeka Ihedioha’s colloquium.
“I will urge him to watch what he says and restrain himself from playing to the gallery.”
