The Peter Obi Media Reach (POMR) says the allegations of sponsoring a planned protest made against the former presidential candidate is a ploy to arrest him.
Obi was presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election.
On Saturday, Bayo Onanuga, special adviser on information and strategy to President Bola Tinubu, alleged that supporters of Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra, are behind the proposed nationwide protest.
Onanuga further alleged that the organisers of the planned protest were the same individuals who “hijacked” the #ENDSARS protest of 2020.
In a rejoinder, Yunusa Tanko, spokesperson of POMR, described the allegations against Obi and his supporters as “wicked and baseless falsehood”.
Tanko said the claims were aimed at limiting Obi’s freedom and stopping his “propagation of good governance”.
“The attention of the Peter Obi Media Reach, POMR, has been drawn to the wild, wicked and baseless allegations by one of the spokespersons in the presidency, Bayo Onanuga accusing the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi of being the mastermind of a planned protest in the country,” the statement reads.
“The statement even said that Obi should be held responsible for any mayhem that may occur in the protest. But POMR can report from good and reliable authority that these unsubstantiated allegations are being orchestrated to arrest Obi, limit his freedom and association and stop his propagation for good governance which they find injurious to their lavish lifestyle.
“POMR is also aware that multiple attack dogs have been hired and strategically deployed to ensure that Obi does not enjoy the ear of the Nigerian populace who are keen on hearing his voice on issues.
“These spine doctors and hirelings, to justify their pay, indulge in all kinds of falsehood ostensibly to distract Obi and confuse Nigerians who already see Obi as a suiting balm in the current turbulent political and economic environment. All the problems real and imagined created by their insensitivity and lavish lifestyle they have curiously tried to link to Obi.
“Notable challenges of the administration which are a consequence of their actions and inactions like fuel subsidy fallouts, growing poverty in the land, inflation, nepotism and unresolved historical conflicts among others they blame all on Obi.
“POMR, therefore, wish to urge Nigerians to ignore the Presidency’s cheap blackmail as Obi and the Obidient family all over the country and in the diaspora remain resolute in their search for a new Nigeria that is POssible and would not be cowed or be made to lose focus.”
