Ijaw leader and elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark, has called for sanction against the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, for allegedly spreading fake news during his recent trip to the United States of America.
He berated the minister for accusing the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi and his running mate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, of treason and pushing for an interim government.
Clark said this in a statement he personally signed and made available to journalists on Monday.
He condemned what he called the minister’s attempt at stifling free speech and accused Mohammed of causing divisions in the country.
“I am of the opinion that he (Lai Mohammed) should be charged with spreading unhealthy information and fake news against an innocent Nigerian who is very prominent and has proven his worth in the country.
“Lai Mohammed used the exalted position of the office of the nation’s Ministry of Information to commit this perfidy.
“For me, what Lai Mohammed is doing with the office today is disappointing. His recent trip to the United States of America, on the issue of Interim National Government, to damage the reputation of Mr Peter Obi’s rising profile, to me, is an effort in futility, because Lai Mohammed did not base his accusations on any report or information given by any state agency, but on mere propaganda targeted at destroying the reputation of an innocent citizen,” he stated.
“If I may continue further, why will the Minister of Information take more than usual interest in not only scandalising and lying against Peter Obi but using his privileged position to circulate same to the country and the entire world?”
Clark questioned why Mohammed was attacking Obi while prominent Nigerians, such as Aare Afe Babalola and Rev Chris Okotie, who had earlier proposed an interim government were not attacked by the Federal Government.
He said, “There were very few politicians in the corridors of power who believe that the Buhari administration had performed exceedingly well. It was during this period of uncertainty that many Nigerians came out patriotically and felt that they should speak out, even though they were not partisan politicians, and one of them is Chief Afe Babalola, an honest and self-made Nigerian. It was during this period he made an honest and sincere contribution, that it maybe difficult to have a free, fair and credible elections. It was at this juncture of a failing Nigeria that he suggested that Nigeria should have an Interim National Government.”
Clark accused Mohammed of latching onto Obi’s comment “for cheap political gain.”
“Mr Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour party in the just concluded presidential elections, has never taken the laws into his hands. He is going about his case, in the constitutionally provided way. He was the first to seek redress in court over what he felt was an unfair and unjust manner of conducting elections. It is his constitutional right to do so. Muhammadu Buhari, in the number of times he contested and failed elections, did same. We all know that at no time from the beginning of the current political season did His Excellency, Peter Obi make any statement that in whatever manner, constituted a breach or threat to the peace and security of this country.
“The question that Lai Mohammed needs to answer is to tell Nigerians on what platform, at what time and in what manner did Peter Obi make the supposed treasonable or seditious remarks?”
That said, the elder statesman called on the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to caution his Minister of Information not to heat up the polity.