Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Mr Festus Keyamo (SAN), on Thursday, petitioned the State Security Services SSS, demanding the arrest and prosecution of the Labour Party, (LP) Presidential and Vice Presidential Candidates, Mr Peter Obi and Datti Baba-Ahmed over alleged incendiary comments and claims about the declaration of Tinubu as President-elect by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to Keyamo, Datti’s recent remark made on 22, March, 2023 live on Channels TV, that “If the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed, is sworn in, come May, 29, it would signal the end of Democracy” in Nigeria, is capable of causing a rebellious chaos against the Federal Government and the President-elect.
The New Diplomat earlier reported that Datti had argued that Tinubu failed to meet the statutory requirements of having 25% of votes in 24 (two-thirds) states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), hence has not met the constitutional requirements to be sworn in as the Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
But Festus Keyamo in his petition addressed to the Director General State Services (DGSS), Thursday, sighted by The New Diplomat, said “These comments and claims are made, not just within the boundaries of exercising their rights to freedom of speech and the freedom to air their grievances publicly, but they have since crossed the line to call for the outright truncation of democracy by insisting on the adoption of other processes outside the contemplation of our Constitution”
Keyamo’s Petition with headlines, reads, PETITION AGAINST MR. PETER OBI AND DATTI BABA-AHMED FOR MAKING INCENDIARY COMMENTS AND CLAIMS CAPABLE OF CAUSING INSURRECTION OR REBELLION AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA AND THE DULY ELECTED PRESIDENT-ELECT.
“I write this petition with the full realisation in a post-election period such as this, there is a need to sooth frayed nerves, lower the temperature and begin the healing process, The President-Elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has issued a statement to this effect few days ago.
“However, it appears the President and Vice-Presidential Candidates of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi and Datti Baba-Ahmed are not prepared to toe this conciliatory path for the sake of peace and national cohesion, whilst exercising their rights to pursue duly laid down constitutional means of addressing their grievances.
“In this regard, since the declaration of Presidential results, they have been hooping from one media house to other making incendiary comments and claims about the declaration of the President-elect by the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC.
“These comments and claims are made, not just within the boundaries of exercising their rights to freedom of speech and the freedom to air their grievances publicly, but they have since crossed the line to call for the outright truncation of democracy by insisting on the adoption of other processes outside the contemplation of our Constitution.
“In some cases, their privies have even called for the establishment of an Interim Government.
“The latest of such are the comments made by Datti Baba-Ahmed on behalf of himself and Mr. Peter Obi on Channels TV on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, wherein he threatened that if the President-Elect is sworn in on May 29th, 2023, it would ‘signal the end of democracy’. Posing as an accuser, a judge and a jury all by himself, he unilaterally declared the duly elected President-elect as ‘unconstitutional’ and, in a subliminal manner, threatened mayhem if the President-Elect is sworn in on May 29th, 2023.
“I also have it on good authority that Mr. Peter Obi and Datti Baba-Ahmed have camped some youths in a popular hotel in Abuja with the sole aim of instructing them to push out inciting messages everyday on social media in order to cause panic and fear within the federation and to incite people to riot and social unrest.
“It is noteworthy that Peter Obi and Datti Baba-Ahmed have submitted Elections Petitions to the courts for adjudication, but their conducts and utterances amount to a subversion of the processes they have instituted in court and a subversion of our Constitution and the laid-down processes for addressing disputes and grievances. These conduct and utterances are a build-up to something more sinister and it is important you rein them in now!
“In the circumstance, I submit this petition in my personal capacity as a patriotic Nigerian to invite/arrest, interrogate and after investigation, if necessary, charge both individuals to court for their conduct which amounts to incitement and treasonable felony”.
