THE presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) and former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, has addressed some controversial issues concerning his person.
The ICIR reported that Obi came third in the 2023 presidential election but is currently challenging the result declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in court.
Speaking on Arise TV on Monday, May 1, Obi said there was a need to address his alleged detention in London, as well as the treason accusations levelled against him by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed.
READ ALSO:
Did Anambra record 53.7% poverty rate under Peter Obi?
Peter Obi vows to reclaim ‘mandate’, says no going back
Peter Obi detained by Immigration at London airport – Spokesperson
Peoples Gazette suspends reporter who broke Peter Obi’s alleged leaked audio story
He said he was neither arrested nor detained in the United Kingdom (UK) for any offence.
Obi noted that he was pulled aside for a routine check to alert him on impersonation of his Visa to the UK.
“I was never arrested, nor detained neither did I commit any offense in the UK. I was stopped for a routine Immigration check because there appeared to be a duplication of my identity. I have lived in the UK for over 10 years and I have never been questioned, or arrested in the UK or any other part of the world in relation to an offence. I was questioned for less than 20 minutes and treated with the utmost respect.”
Obi added that he did not have any form of dual citizenship, noting that he had forfeited his permanent stay in the UK. However, he said he has a Dallas honourary citizenship.
“My honourary citizenship in Dallas, Texas means nothing. It doesn’t even grant me Visa-free entry to the United States. I have never applied and I will never apply for citizenship of any other country, I am a Nigerian who believes in Nigeria,” he said.
Obi stressed that it was an act of “rascality” for the Minister of Information and Culture to accuse him of treason because of the comments made by his running mate in the election, Yusuf Datti Baba Ahmed.
“Lai Mohammed calling me out for treason is the height of rascality. I was in Onitsha and he went to Washington D.C to make that declaration. This is a waste of government resources, that money should have been channeled to build more classrooms.
“I’m sure if you go to his village, there are so many children that don’t even have desks to go to school. And instead of using that money to do it he used that money to go to Washington to announce treason of someone who is in Onitsha.”
Obi further dismissed a leaked audio conversation featuring him and David Oyedepo, General Overseer of the Winners Church. Obi has been accused of religious bigotry due to the details of the conversation, where he allegedly described the election as ‘religious warfare’.
“I am not a religious or tribal bigot but let them make of that what they will. I am not desperate to become President. I’m desperate to see Nigeria work,” he said.
The ICIR reported that Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, accused Peter Obi of inciting insurrection in the country over the outcome of the February 25 presidential election.
The minister described Obi’s alleged action as “treason”.
Mohammed spoke during an official engagement with some international media organisations in Washington, DC, the United States.
Speaking on the polls, Mohammed said his visit to the HS was to balance the skewed narratives and “to tell the world unambiguously that the just concluded general elections in Nigeria are the fairest”.
He described Peter Obi as desperate and undemocratic.
“Obi and his vice, Datti Ahmed, cannot threaten Nigerians that if the President-elect, Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), is sworn in on May 29, it will be the end of democracy in Nigeria. This is treason. You cannot be inviting insurrection, and this is what they are doing.
“The Constitution has stringent criteria for anybody who wants to be President of the country.”
The Labour Party had since dismissed the minister’s claims, describing the treason allegation as baseless.
Stories with punches holding the powerful accountable. His determination to speak out against corruption and influence the conversation in Nigeria, the surrounding region and the continent inspires him.