The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, has accused Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election of inciting his supporters on social media to send death threats to the spokesperson of his party, Felix Morka.
The APC chairman spoke in defence of Morka, whom Obi had alleged of threatening his life.
Ganduje said Morka did not threaten the former governor of Anambra or his family.
In his New Year message, Obi criticised President Bola Tinubu’s administration and expressed concerns over “institutional corruption, mismanagement, poverty, hardship, and an escalating debt profile” in the country.
The former Anambra governor said, “corruption has been deeply entrenched in government” while “nepotism has become the norm on Tinubu’s watch”.
But in a response, Morka called Obi a “prophet of doom,” adding that “he has crossed the line so many times and has it coming to him whatever he gets”.
On Monday, Obi said his life was under threat because of his criticism of Tinubu’s administration.
Obi asked Nigerians if he had “crossed the line” in his New Year message as claimed by Morka.
Responding, the APC spokesperson said he did not threaten the life of the LP presidential candidate, warning that Obi should stop peddling falsehood.
In a statement, Ganduje described Obi’s claim that his life was threatened as a “malicious lie aimed at seeking attention and playing the victim for emotional blackmail”.
The APC national chairman alleged that Obi incited his supporters to issue death threats against Morka.
Ganduje said the ruling party will continue to defend Tinubu’s administration against “disinformation by desperate politicians”.
“By falsely claiming that Morka threatened his life, Mr. Obi has libelled Morka in the extreme and incited his online supporters to issue death threats against Morka and his family,” the statement reads.
“Morka’s comments during the interview were strictly in response to a question referencing ‘prophets of doom’ and ‘voodoo economics’.
“Nothing in his statement constituted or suggested a threat to Obi or anyone else.
“Does Mr. Obi expect the APC to fold its arms and allow the opposition to propagate falsehoods without any response?”