.Says action tilts Nigeria to authoritarian governance model
.Asks APC to apologize to him
Party denies allegation
.Its a lie’, I didn’t threaten Obi’s life, family –Morka
From Cyril Mbah, Abuja.
The former Vice President and Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 Presidential election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has condemned the inflammatory remarks issued by the Publicity Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Barrister Felix Morka, against Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the last general election.
Atiku said the remarks “serves as a disturbing emblem of the current administration’s unsettling strategy in addressing opposition figures.”
The PDP chieftain warned that the threat against Obi, coupled with the prolonged detention of activist 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.”
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Atiku said 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, rooted in hostility, 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? It is imperative that the ruling party provides clarity on this disturbing insinuation.
“Equally troubling is the crude and disparaging manner in which the APC spokesperson 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.
“The case of Mallam Shehu Mahdi languishing in detention without any clear explanation for his continued imprisonment, adds to the growing concern about the erosion of freedoms in Nigeria. If there is anyone who has truly “crossed the line,” it is the Tinubu administration, whose continuous vilification of opposition figures as mere irritants to be crushed is a dangerous precedent.
“It is now time for all men and women of goodwill to intervene, urging the @officialABAT government to recalibrate its approach to dealing with dissent and opposition. The time has come to put an end to this stifling of voices that are crucial to the health of any functioning democracy,” Atiku concluded.
Meanwhile, disturbed by the spate of criticism which followed the Morka remark, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has denied threatening Labour Party 2023 Presidential Candidate Peter Obi as claimed in some quarters.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Barrister Felix Morka, National Publicity Secretary of the
All Progressives Congress (APC) said Obi’s New Year message in which he alleged threats to his life, his family, and those around him were baseless.
Morka claimed that Mr Obi’s allegation which is in reference to an answer to a question during an interview on AriseTV’s THIS WEEK programme on Saturday, January 4, 2025, was taken out of context.
He said “To be clear and for the record, Morka did not threaten Mr Obi or his family or those around him or anyone. Morka has absolutely no reason to, and has never, threatened Obi or anyone. Nothing that Morka said in that interview or any other forum remotely contains or suggests threat against Mr. Obi or anyone else, as the verbatim transcription of the relevant clip indisputably attests.
The statement went further to reproduce the Arise TV interview which read as follows: Q. “You have actually hit back with a volley of attacks, calling Peter Obi a prophet of doom. Some of you have said he is always embarking on voodoo economics that are not in line with current realities. Don’t you think that is a slingshot that has gone beyond normal politicking?
“Morka: No, he is the one throwing darts. Mr. Obi is shooting from the hip. He is not looking, he is not taking an aim; he just shoots wildly like what we used to see in movies back in the days in “Wild, Wild West.” He is not being rational, he is absolutely irrational in his thinking and in his commentary for a man who was Governor for eight years and left nothing to remember in Anambra State by way of legacy or transformation. But all of a sudden, he had served as Governor for eight years, he did’t have the wisdom or the smartness to change Anambra State; to the make Anambra the beacon, the example of governance in the country.
“But then he runs for President in 2023, and now that he didn’t win, he is sulking. Rather than get a perspective of what he did to lose so he can get better in future, he thinks that he can bring down the government by being maliciously deceptive. That is wrong. I’m not someone to go on the offensive in that manner. But Mr. Obi has crossed the line so many times. And, I think that, at this point, he has coming to him whatever he gets. He should manage it.”
Whole explaing that the answer was in the exclusive context of the question, Morka said that “The last sentence of that answer that, “I am not somebody to go on the offensive in that manner, but Mr. Obi has crossed the line so many times and I think that at this point he has coming to him, whatever he gets, he needs to manage it”, was in specific and exclusive response to the question’s reference to “prophet of doom” and “voodoo economics”. Again, nothing in that sentence constitutes or suggests a threat to Obi or anyone.
“While everyone has a right to free speech, no one has a right to peddle misinformation or outright falsehood. The right to free speech granted by our country’s Constitution is not Mr. Obi’s exclusive right but a right that is available to all Nigerians, including Morka. Mr. Obi cannot disseminate misinformation and demand or expect that no one should disagree or challenge his false narrative.
“Ours is a democracy where every citizen, irrespective of political affiliation, is entitled to agree or disagree with other political views or opinions. More than any other Nigerian in this political dispensation, Mr. Obi has exercised his fundamental liberty to speak and disseminate his political views in person, in the formal and on social media.
“Obi leads a restless band of online mob who continue to attack, intimidate, bully and issue death threats to other citizens who dare disagree or criticize Obi or his opinions or position on any subject or matter of national conversation. Many eminent and highly respected elder statesmen have been serially attacked, humiliated and bullied by Obi’s online followers. Obi has never condemned their conduct or called them to order.
“Obi must think himself to be Nigeria’s sacred cow, the super citizen, quintessential, without blemish, beyond reproach, always right, never wrong, and endowed with the supreme and inalienable right to deride, castigate, intimidate blackmail and incite Nigerians against other political leaders who disagree with him, even those who defeated him decisively in the last general election. Mr. Obi is not entitled to any monolithic or exclusive constitutional or extraterrestrial liberty over and above any other citizen.
“There’s no doubt that Mr. Obi has crossed the line of truth in his many assessments. As a candidate for the office of President in the last general election, Mr. Obi made very bold electoral promises to implement specific economic policies to tackle the country’s economic crisis. For example:
“Mr Obi promised to abolish the system of fuel subsidy from day one. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu abolished the system of fuel subsidy on day one. Obi has continued to lambast and incite Nigerians against the Tinubu administration for doing exactly what he promised he would do if he was elected president. That is crossing the line of truth.
“Mr. Obi promised to abolish the dual foreign exchange rate system. President Tinubu has abolished the dual exchange rate system. Obi has continued to lambast and incite Nigerians against the Tinubu administration for doing exactly what he promised he would do if he was elected president. That is crossing the line of truth.
“Mr. Obi promised to transform Nigeria from a consumer to production economy. Under President Tinubu’s leadership, Nigeria now exports more petroluem and agricultural products than it imports with a record of three consecutive quarter massive trade surplus to show. Obi has continued to lambast and incite Nigerians against the Tinubu administration for doing exactly what he promised he would do if he was elected president. That is crossing the line of truth.
“Crossing the line of truth and peddling false narratives, arrogant unwillingness to acknowledge obvious markers of progress, mobilizing outrage and stoking tension against the government are not exactly the most admirable hallmarks of leadership. Peter Obi’s constant flip-flops have crossed a critical line, exposing a disturbing lack of principled commitment. By altering his stance to suit his political interests and drumbeats of the vocal online supporters, Obi undermines his credibility and raises serious concern about his leadership capabilities.
“Nigeria deserves opposition leaders who uphold principle and engage in fact-based critiques rather than barefaced indulgence in opportunistic and manipulative politics. The trust of the people is sacred, and Obi’s vacillations demonstrate a willingness to sacrifice this trust for political gain.
“As the National Spokesman of the ruling Party, I will continue to hold Obi and other opposition actors accountable for their actions just as they seek to, and should, hold our great Party and administration accountable, when truth and public trust are compromised.
“Mr. Obi’s allegation that Morka threatened his life is a self-evident malicious lie and an attention-seeking, playing-the-victim, emotional blackmail. His claim is patently false and reprehensible.
“By falsely claiming that Morka threatened his life, Mr. Obi has libeled Morka in the extreme, and has incited his online mob to make death threats against Morka and members of his family. That is unacceptable. As a public figure, Mr. Obi bears a responsibility to provide accurate and truthful information. Instead, he has chosen to peddle falsehood and mislead Nigerians in quest for political currency and relevance.
“We call on Mr. Obi to immediately set the record straight, withdraw his false allegation against Morka, and call his online supporters to order. Morka, stands ready to explore all available recourse mechanisms in valiant defence of his decency and impeccable reputation,” the statement concluded.
However, The National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Felix Morka, has denied allegations made by Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, that he threatened his life and that of his family.
Morka dismissed the claims as a “self-evident malicious lie”, accusing Obi of engaging in “attention-seeking, playing-the-victim, emotional blackmail.”
Obi, in a post titled “Have I Really Crossed the Line?” shared on his X handle on Monday, alleged that Morka had issued threats following his criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration in his New Year message.
In the post, Obi wrote, “My New Year Message has now led to threats to my life, my family, and those around me. 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 consequences.”
This followed Morka’s comments during an Arise TV interview on Sunday, where he said, “Peter Obi has crossed the line so many times and he has what’s coming to him, and whatever he gets, he should manage it.”
Reacting to Obi’s allegations in a statement on Tuesday, Morka denied the claims, asserting that his words were taken out of context.
The statement read, “On his verified official X handle, Mr Peter Obi, former Governor of Anambra State and presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general elections, has alleged, in his own words, that ‘my New Year Message has now led to threats to my life, my family, and those around me. 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 consequences.’
“Ostensibly, Mr Obi’s allegation is in reference to Morka’s answer to a question during an interview on Arise TV’s THIS WEEK programme on Saturday, January 4, 2025. To be clear and for the record, Morka did not threaten Mr Obi, his family, or those around him, or anyone. Morka has absolutely no reason to, and has never, threatened Obi or anyone.”
He supported his position by quoting the interview, “Nothing that Morka said in that interview or any other forum remotely contains or suggests threat against Mr. Obi or anyone else, as the verbatim transcription of the relevant clip indisputably attests: Arise TV: ‘You have actually hit back with a volley of attacks, calling Peter Obi a prophet of doom. Some of you have said he is always embarking on voodoo economics that is not in line with current realities. Don’t you think that is a slingshot that has gone beyond normal politicking?’
“Morka: ‘No, he is the one throwing darts. Mr. Obi is shooting from the hip. He is not looking, he is not taking aim; he just shoots wildly like what we used to see in movies back in the days in “Wild, Wild West.” He is not being rational; he is absolutely irrational in his thinking and in his commentary for a man who was Governor for eight years and left nothing to remember in Anambra State by way of legacy or transformation. But all of a sudden, he had served as Governor for eight years, he didn’t have the wisdom or the smartness to change Anambra State, to make Anambra the beacon, the example of governance in the country.’’
He added, “But then he runs for President in 2023, and now that he didn’t win, he is sulking. Rather than get a perspective of what he did to lose so he can get better in future, he thinks that he can bring down the government by being maliciously deceptive.
“That is wrong. I’m not someone to go on the offensive in that manner. But Mr. Obi has crossed the line so many times. And, I think that, at this point, he has coming to him whatever he gets. He should manage it.”
Morka also clarified that his comments were solely in response to the interview question and were not intended as a threat.
He explained, “Morka’s answer was in the exclusive context of the question. The last sentence of that answer, ‘I am not somebody to go on the offensive in that manner, but Mr. Obi has crossed the line so many times and I think that at this point he has coming to him, whatever he gets, he needs to manage it,’ was in specific and exclusive response to the question’s reference to ‘prophet of doom’ and ‘voodoo economics.’ Again, nothing in that sentence constitutes or suggests a threat to Obi or anyone.”
He emphasised that free speech is a right available to all Nigerians, including himself.
He stated, “While everyone has a right to free speech, no one has a right to peddle misinformation or outright falsehood. The right to free speech granted by our country’s Constitution is not Mr. Obi’s exclusive right but a right that is available to all Nigerians, including Morka.
“Mr. Obi cannot disseminate misinformation and demand or expect that no one should disagree or challenge his false narrative. Ours is a democracy where every citizen, irrespective of political affiliation, is entitled to agree or disagree with other political views or opinions.
“More than any other Nigerian in this political dispensation, Mr. Obi has exercised his fundamental liberty to speak and disseminate his political views in person, the formal and on social media.”s a lie,’ APC spokesman denies threatening Obi’s life, family
