The All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed allegations made by Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra State, against its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka.
Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), alleged on his X page yesterday that Morka had threatened him for criticizing the economic policies of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The 63-year-old claimed that the APC spokesperson warned him that he had “crossed the line” and would face consequences for his remarks about the Tinubu administration.
The allegations sparked widespread speculation and condemnation, with notable criticism coming from former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who urged the APC to apologize. Atiku described the remarks as an attempt to stifle opposition parties.
Responding to Obi’s claims in a press release today, the APC refuted the allegations, stating that Morka neither threatened Obi nor his family or associates.
The party emphasised that Morka had no reason to issue any threats, and a verbatim transcription of the relevant interview clip confirmed that no such threats were made.
According to the APC, Morka’s comments during an Arise TV interview were strictly in response to a specific question.
The party clarified, quoting Morka: “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 at this point, whatever he gets, he needs to manage it’—was exclusively in reference to the question about ‘prophet of doom’ and ‘voodoo economics.’ Again, nothing in that statement constitutes a threat to Obi or anyone else.”
The APC also stated that while free speech is a fundamental right, it does not grant anyone the liberty to spread misinformation or outright falsehoods.
It stressed that the right to free speech, as enshrined in the Constitution, is not exclusive to Obi but applies to all Nigerians, including Morka. The party added that Obi cannot disseminate false narratives and expect them to go unchallenged.
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“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, 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 mobs 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. Obi is not entitled to any monolithic or exclusive constitutional or extraterrestrial liberty over and above any other citizen.”
The APC noted that Obi has repeatedly crossed the line of truth in his assessments, emphasising that, as a presidential candidate in the last general election, he made bold promises to implement specific economic policies to address Nigeria’s economic challenges.
The party alleged that, during his campaign, Obi pledged to abolish the fuel subsidy system on his first day in office. It noted that President Tinubu implemented this policy on his first day in office but has faced criticism from Obi despite aligning with his campaign promise.
The APC further stated that Obi has continued to criticise and incite Nigerians against the Tinubu administration for implementing policies he vowed to adopt if elected, describing this as a clear contradiction of his earlier stance.
The statement also read: “Mr Obi promised to abolish the dual foreign exchange rate system. President Tinubu has done exactly that. Yet, Obi continues to attack and incite Nigerians against the administration for executing the very policies he championed during his campaign. This, we believe, is a blatant crossing of the line of truth.
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“ Obi promised to transform Nigeria from a consumer to a production economy. Under President Tinubu’s leadership, Nigeria now exports more petroleum and agricultural products than it imports with a record of three consecutive quarters of 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’s 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 the drumbeats of the vocal online supporters, Obi undermines his credibility and raises serious concerns about his leadership capabilities. Nigeria deserves opposition leaders who uphold principles and engage in fact-based antiques 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.”
The APC dismissed Obi’s allegation that Morka threatened his life as a clear, malicious falsehood designed to attract attention, play the victim, and engage in emotional blackmail.
The party described Obi’s claim as “patently false and reprehensible.”
The APC further stated that Obi’s baseless accusation has defamed Morka to an extreme degree and incited online mobs to issue death threats against Morka and his family members.
Describing the situation as unacceptable, the APC urged Obi to prioritise accuracy and truthfulness, rather than spreading falsehoods to mislead Nigerians in pursuit of political relevance and currency.
The party demanded that Obi, an Anambra native, immediately retract his false allegation, set the record straight, and rein in his online supporters who have been perpetuating threats against Morka.
