Tobias Sylvester
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed has reacted to a call for his arrest by Elder statesman and leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, Edwin Clark.
KanyiDaily recalls that Lai Mohammed had during his recent visit to the United States accused the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi of treason.
The Minister alleged that Obi was promoting insurrection in Nigeria by inciting people to violence over the outcome of the February 25 presidential elections.
Reacting in a statement, Edwin Clark called for Mohammed’s arrest and prosecution for spreading fake news against Peter Obi to damage his “rising profile”.
Clark said that the prosecution of the Minister has become imperative because he used the exalted position of the office of the nation’s Ministry of Information to commit perfidy.
Lai Mohammed Dismiss Call For His Arrest
Speaking on Tuesday in London, the minister said Edwin Clark’s call for his arrest for allegedly inciting the public to violence is unjustifiable.
Mohammed said he stood by his admonition of Obi and his running mate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, insisting that his advice was never premised on falsehood.
“What will be my offence? Is it by chiding vice presidential candidate of the Labour Party who said on live television that if the President-elect Bola Tinubu is sworn-in on May 29 that that would be the end of democracy in Nigeria?
“Is it for chiding him for saying that swearing-in Tinubu in May 29 is like swearing-in the military? What is the fake news in that?” the minister queried.
Mohammed said Baba-Ahmed had never denied his statement made on live television, adding that Obi had also not publicly called his running mate to order over the treasonable utterances.
“The position of the law is clear that anybody who is aggrieved over election results should go to court It is not to start threatening Nigerians and heating up the polity simply because you lost an election,” he said.
Mohammed stressed that the APC won the presidential election “fair and square” and INEC was right in declaring Tinubu the winner. He reassured Nigerians and the international community that the president-elect would be sworn in on May 29.
