APC Demarketing Nigeria
Read Time:3 Minute, 5 Second
Opposition leader Peter Obi says the Federal Government’s accusations against him are “malicious and fictitious” as Information Minister restates election body stopped uploading results due to cyber attacks
The Labour Party (LP)’s presidential candidate and opposition leader Peter Obi has fired back at the Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed who accused him of treason in a speech in Washington DC, Tuesday for refusing to accept the falsified presidential election results.
The minister was in Washington DC to convince US officials, the international press and other think tanks that the 2023 elections was “credible” despite numerous reports saying otherwise.
“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.” Obi stated, Tuesday.
The Federal Government irked by Monday protest by the “Obidient” movement made up of LP supporters outside the White House hurriedly despatched the information minister to Washington, to tell the Biden administration that the All Progressive Congress (APC) presidential candidate Bola Tinubu “won” the election, while they unleashed a wave of fake news including a doctored audio that claimed Obi was calling for religious war between Christians and Muslims before the election.
“I have never discussed or encouraged anyone to undermine the Nigerian state; I have never sponsored or preached any action against the Nigerian state.” Obi said rebutting claims by Mohammed that it was treason to seek redress in court over the outcome of the polls and at the same time incite people to violence.
“I am on record as always, advocating for peace and issue-based campaign and never campaigned based on ethnicity or religion. I am committed to due process, and presently seeking redress in the Court.” Obi added debunking the ruling party’s propaganda labelling him as an ethnic and religious bigot.
The LP presidential candidate warned against “demarketing” Nigeria before the world. “I urge those engaged in this demarketing process to stop presenting Nigeria in such bad light. Our future generations deserve a new Nigeria, where they can live a secure and decent life like their counterparts in other climes. It is possible.”
Mohammed highlighted the numerous problems the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) faced during the exercise. He reiterated that during the presidential and national assembly polls on February 25 INEC computers came under massive cyber attacks which stopped the body from uploading results.
He said IReV, a platform whereby election results at the polling level are uploaded, was not a tool for collation of election results or used to transmit results electronically.
“Under our laws today, management of election results is manual and the court has ruled that INEC has the exclusive right to determine the mode of election, its collation and transmission.
“What happened on the 25th of February was that INEC observed that the results of the presidential elections were not being viewed.
“INEC, suspecting cyber attack, withheld the uploading of the results in order to preserve the integrity of the data. It immediately proceeded to float an alternative platform while asking its technicians to investigate what happened to its original portal.” Mohammed said.
Observers point out, that was when figures were manipulated in favour of the ruling party.
The Nigerian propaganda minister also noted the Nigerian Police summary report of the elections which identified pockets of violence scattered all over the country. “There were 489 cases of electoral infractions during the election and 781 electoral offenders that would be charged to court.”
“But they are not substantial enough to annul the election.” The minister stressed before his international audience.
Akowe with reports from Abuja
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0
Average Rating