FORMER Vice President Atiku Abubakar has described recent remarks by the spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Felix Morka, against the Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, as disturbing.
Abubakar said rather than accuse Obi as a critic who had crossed the line over his constant position on the state of the nation, the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government was the one which deserved such an attribute.
Abubakar demanded an apology from Morka and the Tinubu’s administration which he described as authoritarian.
While featuring on Arise Television’s Sunday Interview on December 5, Morka claimed that Obi had “crossed the line” in his New Year Day criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
He accused Obi of desperately seeking to incite Nigerians into bringing down Tinubu’s government.
“Mr. Obi is shooting from the hip. He is not looking or taking an aim. He just shoots wildly like the Wild Wild West movies we used to see back in the day. He is not being rational. He’s absolutely irrational in his thinking and in his public commentaries.
“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, after serving as governor for eight years and not having the wisdom to change Anambra State or make Anambra the beacon or sample of governance in the country…
“I am not somebody to go on the offensive in that manner, but Mr Peter Obi has crossed the line so many times, and I think that at this point, it has come to him, whatever he gets, he needs to manage it.”
Reacting to Morka’s stance in a post on his X handle on Tuesday, January 7, Abubakar said the APC chieftain’s response to Obi was ‘inflammatory.’
He described the comments on the TV show as a “disturbing emblem of the current administration’s unsettling strategy in addressing opposition figures.”.
Abubakar said the threat against Obi, coupled with the prolonged detention of a prominent dissent, Mahdi Shehu, and others signalled a worrisome shift towards an authoritarian governance model, where the rights of opposition voices were being suffocated.
He argued that the choice of words used by the APC’s spokesperson, “particularly the ominous suggestion that Obi has ‘crossed the line,’ reveals an alarming disdain for democratic principles.”
He added that such a language was rooted in hostility and had 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.” Abubakar remarked.
He further stated that the manner in which the APC spokesperson framed Obi’s calls for constructive engagement, as a “lawless Wild West scenario” was equally troubling and disparaging.
He said such “reckless and derogatory” expressions could not be tolerated. He called on the APC to issue a formal apology to Obi.
“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,” he added.
The ICIR reports that Obi had reacted to Morka’s statements, saying he would not be silenced for speaking truth to power.
In a tweet on his official X handle, Obi asked if he crossed the line in his New Year message.
“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 the consequences.
“I find it necessary to share this message again and urge everyone who has not seen it to watch. If I have truly crossed the line, I invite anyone to point it out, as I remain committed to upholding decorum. However, I will not be silenced in my resolve to speak truthfully, especially as our nation continues to drift toward undemocratic practices,” Obi tweeted.
He claimed the nation was increasingly transforming into an authoritarian and repressive regime, where freedom of expression was being systematically suppressed.
A reporter with the ICIR
A Journalist with a niche for quality and a promoter of good governance