By Ola Kay
The Democratic Front has dismissed the threat of legal action by Peter Obi, former Labour Party Presidential candidate against Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Communication and Strategy as laughable, ludicrous and irrational.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Danjuma Muhammad and the Secretary Wale Adedayo, the group described the threat of a N5bn law suit as a futile expedition that will amount to nothing.
TDF noted that, “If the allegation by Mr. Onanuga that Peter Obi’s supporters were the organizers of the proposed protest was strange to Obi, he should be informed that majority of Nigerians share the view of the Presidential aide on the unruly and unscrupulous supporters of the Labour Party candidate otherwise known as “Obidients”.
“Keen watchers of political events and developments in Nigeria are aware of the highly inflamed sentimental and volatile propagandist campaigns ran by the “Obidients” during the electioneering campaigns of the last presidential election.
“Their enormous capacity for abusive words and hate speeches to amplify ethnic, regional, and religious divisions in the country was both unbelievable and unprecedented.
“This coupled with their attempt to intimidate and demonize the Nigerian Judiciary through the infamous “All eyes on you” advertorials, and the irresponsible call for military take-over because their principal lost the Presidential election both at the polls and the courts, all point to the fact that the “Obidients” are a group of politically unintelligent mob that harbour hatred and disregard for the ethics of social democracy and the rule of law.
“We recall how Peter Obi himself was bursted in a pre-election viral telephone conversation with Bishop David Oyedepo of Living Faith Church during which he described the election as a “war” between two religious faiths.
It is a statement of fact that the “Obidients” have assertively and consistently used all available social media platforms to demarket the nation, and have continually called for mass protests to abruptly end the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, since Obi’s defeat. This is common knowledge to most Nigerian users of social media.
“We expect Obi to know that Mr Bayo Onanuga will not, as a reputable public servant, a seasoned journalist and a spokesman of the President, flippantly point accusing fingers to the “Obidients” camp on the planned protest to disrupt the nation’s peace, without a solid and verifiable hint from security and intelligence bodies.”
The group supported Mr. Onanuga’s position, who it reasoned acted “aptly based on the strength of solid information.”
It went further to state that Mr. Peter Obi feigned ignorance of the behaviour of his supporters, adding that the latter’s response to the Presidential aide ought to have been an open dissociation of his person from the planned nationwide protest with facts.
“He has failed to do so and instead, he has resorted to the pedestrian style of threat of a lawsuit against Mr. Onanuga, which is obviously aimed at concealing the truth and misleading the public,” the group stated.
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