Peter Obi, Lai’s Treason Card and Nigeria

Chido Nwangwu writes that the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has faulted the recent treason allegation levelled against him by Information and Culture Minister, Lai Mohammed.

It’s truly a shameful chapter and turn for the government of Nigeria led by its former dictator and retired General, Muhammadu Buhari, to attack presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 poll, Mr Peter Obi, for allegedly being involved in “treason”.

Buhari’s hyperbolic and incredible Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, attacked Obi in Washington DC, a few days ago in April, 2023.

USAfrica has learned that to the astonishment of the American editors he travelled to to talk to in Washington DC., Lai Mohammed continued  claiming the factually incorrect and discredited line that the February 25, 2023 “general elections in Nigeria is the fairest, most transparent and authentic in the history of Nigeria.”

Obi’s crime is that he has the “balls” to go to court and the designated election tribunal to seek an accurate verification of the votes and with simple evidence challenge the qualifications of Buhari and Lai’s candidate for their APC political party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu!

These rulers believe that any questions and criticisms of their actions and deeds and evidences of serial failures simply undermine the State, the country and its purposes. 

It’s a familiar strategy of discredited despots.

In the recent history of leadership and control of several countries across the African, Arab, Asian, European, and South American continents, the world have witnessed the hijack and personal appropriation of the powers and authority of the State and government.

The basic principles and responsibilities of constitutional order are swept aside to the primitive order of ruling.

Whatever remained as the public purse and commonwealth for the service of the citizens are smashed as consequence of the corrupt practices of the leaders.

Most things, almost everything that was important and reflective of the collective aspirations of the ruled are voraciously consumed psychotic appetite and whimsical desires, quixotic swings and criminal activities of the dictators and incompetent charlatans who believe that they are State.

They have no room or tolerance for criticism and alternative viewpoints towards improving and improving the country.

But it’s not only from ancient history that the world has witnessed these actions.

Republican strategist, Rick Wilson said recently a few years ago that “For Donald Trump, any opposition, either personal, ideological, or political is treason. Anyone who stands in his path betrays the Great Leader. Anyone who fails to take the knee is a traitor.”

Obi, the presidential candidate of Nigeria’s Labour Party in the February 2023 election, has dismissed the allegations of treason and incitement of insurrection made by Mohammed. He accused Obi and his deputy, Senator Baba Datti-Ahmed, of treason and inciting Nigerians to oppose INEC’s declaration of former Governor of Lagos State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the President-elect.

Obi has also asked “how opting for the tribunal by myself and my Deputy amounts to treason…. Minister Lai accusing me of stoking the fire of insurrection is totally fictitious and malicious. I have never advocated or encouraged anyone to undermine the Nigerian State….”

Obi, a very frugal businessman, condemned Mohammed’s trip as a waste of Nigeria’s resources and is laughable since “most of those countries sent their people to monitor the election and have all received reports from the monitors, as well as from their embassies…. Between Lai Mohammed and their monitors/embassies, who would these countries believe. The billions spent on those meaningless trips would be enough to fix several dilapidated schools in the country.“

The treason allegation seems to be a form of intimidation and threat against those seeking the legal road of litigation of rigging issues, violence against targetted voters and ethnicities!

-Dr Nwangwu, is Founder of the first African-owned, U.S-based newspaper on the internet, USAfricaonline.com, and established USAfrica in 1992 in Houston.

Follow him on Twitter @Chido247