Presidency’s Protest Allegation a Ploy to Arrest Obi, Claims Media Office

The Peter Obi Media Reach (POMR) has strongly refuted allegations that former Anambra Governor Peter Obi is linked to a planned protest. The accusations, made by Presidential Media Aide Bayo Onanuga, have been described as “wild, wicked, and baseless” by POMR spokesman Yunusa Tanko.

In a statement released on Saturday, Tanko suggested that the presidency intends to use these unfounded allegations as a pretext to arrest Obi, who was the Labour Party’s Presidential Candidate in the 2023 elections. Tanko stated, “The attention of the Peter Obi Media Reach has been drawn to the wild, wicked and baseless allegations by one of the Spokespersons in the Presidency, Bayo Onanuga, accusing Peter Obi of being the mastermind of a planned protest in the country.”

The statement emphasized that Obi has never been associated with violence, even in the face of provocation. It claimed that these allegations are part of a broader strategy to limit Obi’s freedom and hinder his advocacy for good governance.

“Peter Obi, by his mien in and out of political office, has not in any way shown or been associated with violence. He has always focused on issues without resorting to personal attacks,” the statement read.

Furthermore, POMR alleged that multiple attack dogs have been deployed to discredit Obi and prevent him from reaching the Nigerian populace. The media office accused these individuals of spreading falsehoods to distract Obi and mislead Nigerians, who see him as a beacon of hope in the current turbulent political and economic environment.

POMR also noted that the challenges facing the administration, such as the fallout from fuel subsidy removal, rising poverty, inflation, and unresolved historical conflicts, have been unjustly blamed on Obi.

The media office urged Nigerians to disregard the presidency’s “cheap blackmail,” affirming that Obi and his supporters remain steadfast in their vision for a better Nigeria. “Obi and the Obidient family all over the country and in the diaspora remain resolute in their search for a new Nigeria that is possible and will not be cowed or made to lose focus,” the statement concluded.