- Safiu Kehinde
The All Progressive Congress (APC) National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, has denied threatening Labour Party’s 2023 Presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
Morka had been subjected to backlash over his recent interview on Arise TV where he stated that Obi has crossed the line and should be prepared to face the consequences.
Reacting in a statement issued on Tuesday, the APC Spokesperson dismissed the threat claim by Peter Obi.
He held that nothing contained or suggested threat to the life of the former Anambra state governor and his family.
“Ostensibly, Mr Obi’s allegation is in reference to Morka’s answer to a question during an interview on AriseTV’s THIS WEEK program on Saturday, January 4, 2025.
“To be clear and for the record, Morka did not threaten Mr Obi or his family or those around him or anyone. Morka has absolutely no reason to, and has never, threatened Obi or anyone. Nothing that Morka said in that interview or any other forum remotely contains or suggests threat against Mr. Obi or anyone else, as the verbatim transcription of the relevant clip indisputably attests” Morka stated.
Quoting the verbatim transcription of the clip where he made the statement during the interview, Morka explained the statement was in response to the questions referenced to his earlier description of Obi as “Prophet of Doom”.
“Arise TV: You have actually hit back with a volley of attacks, calling Peter Obi a prophet of doom. Some of you have said he is always embarking on voodoo economics that are not in line with current realities. Don’t you think that is a slingshot that has gone beyond normal policking?
“Morka: No, he is the one throwing darts. Mr. Obi is shooting from the hip. He is not looking, he is not taking an aim; he just shoots wildly like what we used to see in movies back in the days in “Wild, Wild West.”He is not being rational, he is absolutely irrational in his thinking and in his commentary 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, he had served as Governor for eight years, he did’t have the wisdom or the smartness to change Anambra State; to the make Anambra the beacon, the example of governance in the country. But then he runs for President in 2023, and now that he didn’t win, he is sulking. Rather than get a perspective of what he did to lose so he can get better in future, he thinks that he can bring down the government by being maliciously deceptive. That is wrong. I’m not someone to go on the offensive in that manner. But Mr. Obi has crossed the line so many times. And, I think that, at this point, he has coming to him whatever he gets.
He should manage it.”
“Morka’s answer was in the exclusive context of the question.
“The last sentence of that answer that, “I am not somebody to go on the offensive in that manner, but Mr.Obi has crossed the line so many times and I think that at this point he has coming to him, whatever he gets, he needs to manage it”, was in specific and exclusive response to the question’s reference to “prophet of doom” and “voodoo economics”
“Again, nothing in that sentence constitutes or suggests a threat to Obi or anyone.” The statement read further.
While maintaining that everyone has a right to free speech, Morka held that no one has a right to peddle misinformation or outright falsehood.
He accused Obi of using the social media and netizens to intimidate those who dare criticized his opinion on any matter of national conversation.
“Obi leads a restless band of online mob who continue to attack, intimidate, bully and issue death threats to other citizens who dare disagree or criticize Obi or his opinions or position on any subject or matter of national conversation.
“Many eminent and highly respected elder statesmen have been serially attacked, humiliated and bullied by Obi’s online followers. Obi has never condemned their conduct or called them to order.
“Obi must think himself to be Nigeria’s sacred cow, the super citizen, quintessential, without blemish, beyond reproach, always right, never wrong, and endowed with the supreme and inalienable right to deride, castigate, intimidate blackmail and incite Nigerians against other political leaders who disagree with him, even those who defeated him decisively in the last general election.
Mr. Obi is not entitled to any monolithic or exclusive constitutional or extraterrestrial liberty over and above any other citizen.” Morka stated.
He, however, reinstated that Obi has crossed the line of truth in his many assessments as he recounted the 2023 Labour Party Presidential candidate’s campaign promises which were similar to Tinubu’s promises.
“There’s no doubt that Mr. Obi has crossed the line of truth in his many assessments.
“As a candidate for the office of President in the last general election, Mr. Obi made very bold electoral promises to implement specific economic policies to tackle the country’s economic crisis. For example:
“Mr Obi promised to abolish the system of fuel subsidy from day one. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu abolished the system of fuel subsidy on day one.
“Obi has continued to lambast and incite Nigerians against the Tinubu administration for doing exactly what he promised he would do if he was elected president. That is crossing the line of truth.” Morka added.