From Sola Ojo, Abuja

Supporters of the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Mr Peter Obi, have criticised President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, over allegations of a surreptitious plot by Obi and his followers to incite violence and mayhem in Nigeria. They have also called for the arrest of those involved in the alleged plot.

Onanuga, over the weekend, alleged that Peter Obi and his supporters were planning violent protests against the Tinubu administration. He called on security agencies to arrest and question Obi.

However, Dr Moses Paul, National Coordinator of the Peter Obi support group, New Nigeria Now, told the Daily Sun in Abuja on Monday that Onanuga’s outburst was “reckless, divisive, unfounded, and unsubstantiated.”

He condemned Onanuga’s allegedly ethnic and bigoted rhetoric, accusing him of fanning the flames of ethnic sentiment to distract Nigerians from the country’s economic woes.

“It is crucial to reiterate that Mr Peter Obi is, without a doubt, the most humble, tolerant, and peaceful politician in Nigeria today,” the group stated. “His exceptional leadership qualities and commitment to peaceful coexistence are exemplary.”

Read also: Peter Obi calls on leaders to use public funds for peoples’ good

“Even his greatest enemies and opposition parties can attest to his unshakable dedication to maintaining a high level of decorum and respect, even in the face of provocation. Despite being subjected to daily insults, character assassination, and name-calling by individuals like Reno [Omokri], Bwala [Daniel], and Bayo himself, Mr Peter Obi has consistently chosen to maintain issue-based politics.”

Dr Paul added that the former Anambra State Governor often instructs his supporters to ignore provocations, saying, “Leave them in their lowliness. ‘Will this provocation reduce the high cost of food items and the suffering of the people?’ he would ask.”

“It is therefore astonishing that Bayo Onanuga would attempt to misrepresent Mr Peter Obi’s character and accuse him of being involved in violence,” he said. “This is a blatant lie, and we won’t stand for it. Mr Peter Obi is the vanguard of change in Nigeria, and his patriotic conduct has been a beacon of hope for the country.”

The Coordinator called on President Tinubu to caution his media aide against using threats and inflammatory language towards respected leaders and Nigerians.