Peter Obi has slammed coup allegation as “reckless and seditious propaganda”.
NaijaOnPoint Nigeria reports that the media office of Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general election, has strongly dismissed claims linking him to an alleged plot to overthrow the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, calling the accusation a “dangerous joke taken too far.”
This Nigeria news platform understands that Valentine Obienyem, a senior media aide to Obi, issued a scathing response on Thursday to a petition reportedly filed by one Abayomi Arabambi, in which he accused Obi, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Joe Ajaero, Senator Victor Umeh, and members of a faction led by Nenadi Usman of conspiring to topple the federal government.
Obienyem, in a statement titled “Coup Plot Allegation: A Dangerous Joke Taken Too Far”, described the accusation as not only “reckless and seditious” but one that, in a “functional society,” would warrant the immediate arrest of the petitioner for questioning.
“Coup plotting is not child’s play,” Obienyem said. “It is a serious national security offence. To casually accuse citizens, especially prominent and responsible figures, of attempting to topple a democratically elected government is not only reckless but seditious in itself.”
He questioned why Arabambi had not been arrested or interrogated by security agencies if his claims held any substance, insisting that the authorities must either extract credible evidence from him or prosecute him for making what he called “a dangerously false claim.”
“Who is this man, and why hasn’t he been arrested?” Obienyem asked. “If his allegation carries any weight, then the security agencies must take it seriously by interrogating him thoroughly, identifying his sources, and presenting evidence. However, if, as it appears, this is mere political mischief, he must face the full consequences of peddling such a dangerous falsehood.”
Obienyem further warned that such careless allegations could trigger instability and erode public trust in Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
“A coup is not a term to be bandied around like a political insult. It is treason. To accuse someone of it, especially in a democratic society, is to risk social unrest, undermine confidence in our institutions, and endanger lives. This is not politics; it is lunacy dressed in propaganda,” he stated.
He concluded with a stern call for political actors to rise above desperation and factional rivalry, stressing that Nigeria’s fragile democracy should not be toyed with in the name of political vendettas.
“Nigeria deserves better than this brand of politics,” he added. “We must not allow desperation and factional rivalry to blind us to the red lines of national stability and security.”