Atiku Defends Peter Obi Over Threat, Says APC Suffocating Opposition

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has come under fire for threatening Peter Obi over his New Year message with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar rising to defend his 2019 presidential running mate, accusing the ruling APC of suffocating opposition elements in the country.

Atiku’s position was premised on the comments made by the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Felix Morka, against the former presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the last general election.

Obi had alleged on Monday that his New Year message on the state of the nation under the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu government has led to threats against his life and family.

He asked, “Have I crossed the line?

“I ask the question because my New Year message has now led to threats against my life, my family, and those around me,” Obi said on Tuesday in a statement he posted to X/Twitter.

He added, “While I have received all sorts of messages, one Mr Felix Morka has gone further to accuse me of ‘crossing the line’ and has warned that I will face the consequences.

*I find it necessary to share this message again and urge everyone who has not seen it to watch,” attaching a link to his statement.

“If I have truly crossed the line, I invite anyone to point it out, as I remain committed to upholding decorum,” Obi added.

Obi, however, vowed, “I will not be silenced in my resolve to speak truthfully, especially as our nation continues to drift toward undemocratic practices.

“We are increasingly transforming into an authoritarian and repressive regime, where freedom of expression is being systematically suppressed,* Obi said in response to Morka, whose statement has alarmed the country.

Morka, who appeared on the television interview, had warned Peter Obi using words that many, including Atiku, have said amounted to a threat and a sign that something was being planned against the former Anambra governor.

Morka, during an interview on Arise Television, had said, “Peter Obi has crossed the line so many times and has it coming to him whatever he gets”.

He added that Obi’s assessment of the current administration is “ridiculous and deceptive” and that the politician has no legacy in Anambra after governing the state for eight years.

Atiku, in a statement via X on Tuesday, said the development served “as a disturbing emblem of the current administration’s unsettling strategy in addressing opposition figures.”

The 2019 and 2023 presidential of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said the “threat against Obi, coupled with the prolonged detention of Mahdi Shehu, a prominent voice of dissent and others, signals a worrisome shift towards an authoritarian governance model, where the rights of opposition voices are being suffocated.”

While calling on the ruling party to apologize to Nigerians and Obi over the comment, he pointed out that the choice of words used by the APC spokesperson, “particularly the ominous suggestion that Obi has “crossed the line,” reveals an alarming disdain for democratic principles.

Such language, he said, has no place in a free society where civil discourse and engagement should reign supreme.

“A true democracy thrives on the healthy exchange of ideas, where the criticisms and contributions of opposition leaders, like Peter Obi, are seen as vital for the betterment of governance and the promotion of public accountability.

“It is not merely the right but the solemn duty of a democratic government to listen attentively to the voices of its critics, to engage in meaningful dialogue, and to allow space for the articulation of alternative viewpoints.

“Instead, we are faced with a chilling threat that suggests Obi must “be ready for whatever comes his way.”

“What exactly does Mr. Morka imply by this? The ruling party must provide clarity on this disturbing insinuation.

“Equally troubling is the crude and disparaging manner in which the APC spokesperson has framed Peter Obi’s calls for constructive engagement, likening them to a lawless Wild West scenario.

“Such reckless and derogatory expressions cannot be tolerated, and it is incumbent upon the APC to issue a formal apology to Obi and the Nigerian people for such disgraceful language,” he said.