By Cosmas Omegoh
Ohanaeze chieftain and former president of Aka Ikenga, Chief Goddy Uwazurike, has accused the Federal Government and Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed of unnecessarily heating the polity.
He stated this against the backdrop of the statement by Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, that the presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP) and his running mate, Peter Obi and Datti Baba-Ahmed, respectively, could be charged for treason.
Uwazuruike, president of the Credibility Group, in a statement, yesterday, claimed that what the minister did in the media conferences granted in the US amounted to heating up the polity.
He described Mohammed actions as nothing but quixotic display of a narrow minded and forgetful person.
“Indeed, it is only a person suffering from myopia that will descend to the level of equating going to court to challenge election results with treason. Myopia because the president of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, challenged the outcome of the 2003, 2007 and 2011 in the election tribunals the same way Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar are doing now. Nobody accused Buhari of treason, nobody threatened to arrest him and his followers, including you. Alhaji Lai Mohammed should retrace his steps and apologise to the nation for de-marketing Nigeria.”
Uwazurike also took a swipe at the APC presidential campaign media team for going overboard in destroying the freedom of the media and inter-ethnic harmony in the country. He queried the silence of the government on the attacks and disenfranchisement of non-indigenes in Lagos State during the just occluded general elections.
He flayed a situation where the NBC would be sanctioning broadcast stations because of petitions by Bayo Onanuga, spokesperson of the campaign council.
“Onanuga coughs and the NBC swings into action; the other day it was Arise TV and now Channels TV all at the whims and caprices of the gang of four. Today, all non-Yoruba people are seen as Igbo in Lagos and must be disenfranchised. The security arrangements are not for the Igbo in Lagos. Any statement in protest must be met with a sledge hammer. Enough of the derailing of the harmony of the society and the freedom of the press. For record purposes, Bayo Onanuga, Dele Alake and Femi Fani Kayode are non indigenous residents, while Festus Keyamo and I are regarded by Bayo Onanuga and company as Igbo people. Let common sense come back to Nigeria. Bayo Onanuga and co rejoiced over Kemi of UK and Kemi of the Republic of Island for winning election in Europe and have declared hostility towards non indigenous people. The security agencies have seen no evil and heard no evil.”