The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has charged the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, to apologize to Nigerians for his misleading statements and allegations against the PDP and its Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
The PDP stated this in a press statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan.
The PDP said the allegations were not only misleading the nation but also heating up the polity as they were unfounded.
The party said that with the assurances on Monday, that the nation was safe for the Presidential inauguration, Mohammed had further exposed the fact that he, acting for the Federal Government, only conjured claims to create the impression that the PDP and Atiku Abubakar had set security breaches against the Presidential inauguration.
“It is, indeed, lamentable that in its desperation to secure acceptance from Nigerians and confer legitimacy to the outcome of a rigged election, the Buhari administration would manufacture and purvey fake news to the public, only for Nigerians to learn from the same Minister, that his earlier claims against the PDP and Mr. Atiku (Abubakar) were not based on any concrete evidence but, on having “no reasons to doubt” claims by other individuals.”
The statement further read, “Moreover, the Minister’s claims that he relied on certain alarms fell flat as no agency in the country had ever accused the PDP, as a political party, or our Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, of ‘doing everything possible to sabotage the Buhari Administration, generally overheat the polity and make Nigeria seemingly ungovernable’ as claimed by Lai Mohammed.
“It is now clear that the whole essence of the misleading allegation was to heat up the system, attempt to cow democratic voices, divert public discourse from the rigging of the Presidential election and scare the PDP and our Presidential candidate from pursuing our stolen Presidential mandate at the court.
“We also have fears that Alhaji Lai Mohammed could have made those wild claims in a bid to pave the way to frame, harass, arrest and detain some opposition figures on trump-up charges.”
The party stated that such antics would not work as Nigerians have seen through them and are resolute, behind Atiku Abubakar, in the determination to retrieve his mandate in the court.
“No form of blackmail and intimidation will distract the people from that resolve.
“By his fabricated claims, the Information Minister only succeeded in further de-marketing our dear nation in the international arena, causing more damage to investors’ confidence in our system and exposing this administration as purveyor of fake news.”
The PDP, therefore, invited Lai Mohammed to apologize to the nation and desist from such acts of incitement for the peace and security of Nigeria.
