The media aide to Mr. Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Valentine Obienyem, has strongly condemned recent allegations linking his principal to a purported plot to overthrow President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
In a strongly worded statement titled “Coup Plot Allegation: A Dangerous Joke Taken Too Far”, Obienyem dismissed the claims as “reckless, seditious, and absurd,” warning that such accusations threaten national cohesion and trivialize matters of grave constitutional importance.
The allegation, made by one Mr. Abayomi Arabambi, a factional member of the Labour Party, claims that Obi, along with Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Joe Ajaero, Senator Victor Umeh, and members of the Nenadi Usman-led LP faction, are conspiring to stage a coup against the democratically elected government of President Tinubu.
Obienyem queried why Arabambi has not been arrested for making such a serious claim, insisting that coup allegations are not political tools to be wielded irresponsibly. “Coup plotting is not child’s play. It is a serious national security offence. To casually accuse responsible citizens of such an act is not only reckless but seditious in itself,” he stated.
“In a functional democracy, an individual who makes such a weighty accusation would be immediately taken in for questioning. He must be compelled to provide evidence, identify his sources, and justify his claims.”
Obienyem further suggested that if Arabambi’s petition lacks substance, he should be prosecuted for incitement and spreading false information capable of endangering national peace.
“A coup is not a term to be bandied around like a political insult. It is treason. Such baseless allegations risk inciting public unrest, undermining confidence in national institutions, and endangering innocent lives,” the statement read.
He described the allegation as a product of “political desperation and factional rivalry,” which he said must not be allowed to cross the “red lines of national stability and security.”
“Nigeria deserves better than this brand of politics,” Obienyem said. “We must resist the urge to sacrifice national unity on the altar of propaganda and mischief.”
At the time of filing this report, no formal statement had been issued by security agencies regarding the petition.
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