Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
The Labour Party, LP, has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, of hatching plots to assassinate its presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi.
According to LP, the recent diatribe by Minister of State for Labour, Festus Keyamo, accusing Obi of plotting to fake his own assassination, is a smokescreen by APC to kill Obi and blame it on the false alarm.
National Publicity Secretary of Labour Party, Mr Arabambi Abayomi, said that the desperation by APC to hold on to power beyond 2023 was driving the party to resort to unholy acts.
Abayomi wondered why the APC Presidential Campaign Spokesman, Keyamo, would think that Obi was plotting to stage an assassination attempt on himself and blame the APC.
He said that Keyamo and his APC should be held responsible should any harm befall Obi.
Abayomi said that Labour Party considered Keyamo’s claims as “a devilish-act” and “a subtle way to gain unmerited sympathy in a bogus attempt at clandestinely employing crude, primitive tactics to win the 2023 presidential election through fraudulent means.”
LP said that Obi was not contemplating to fake his own assassination, adding that such primitive act only exists in the imagination of APC.
Abayomi in a statement said Keyamo’s utterance was simply a confession of APC’s concluded plot to assassinate Obi, vowing that the party will not take it lightly with Keyamo and APC should anything untoward happen to Obi.
The statement made available to Ikengaonline read in part: “Festus Keyamo in a fabricated and very misleading press statement, claimed he was responding to a non-existent false rumour that Peter Obi plans to ‘stage–manage’ an ‘assassination attempt’ on himself is alarming and very frightening and it leaves no room to doubt the implications of the claim as it is like a self-confession by the APC in its plan to assassinate the LP presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
“No one is confused by the APC through Festus Keyamo’s open pre-crime alibi. No one is fooled enough to buy into the very sadistic attempt to create a confusing narrative, ahead of committing a felony.
“LP wants the public to be fully informed that the APC has indirectly warned all Nigerians that a plan to assassinate Peter Obi by the APC is on the way.
“Labour Party wishes to remind Festus Keyamo that Chapter IV of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on fundamental rights section 33(1) states: ‘Every person has a right to life, and no one shall be deprived intentionally of his life, save in execution of the sentence of a court in respect of a criminal offence of which he has been found guilty in Nigeria’.”
Labour Party reminded the APC presidential Spokesperson and, in fact, the Tinubu Presidential Campaign that the right to take life of another person was not vested in any individual or groups except as prescribed in Section 33(2) (a)(b)(c).
Abayomi called on the Inspector-General of Police to immediately initiate a comprehensive investigation into Mr Festus Keyamo’s “unlawful and treasonable activities and conducts likely to cause breach of peace and anarchy in our country so that this ugly trend can be nipped in the bud as well as possible prosecution in the court of law.”
The statement further read: “LP is aware of the level of enormous defeat across the nation’s political and electoral frustrations the APC has been made to reap as a result of the Peter Obi phenomenon depicted by the unprecedented support for Peter Obi that has since become a national movement of the people.
“LP sees the forced self-confession of the APC about the conspiracy being floated by it to assassinate the most popular and supported people’s preferred and loved 2023 presidential candidate, as yet another proof of God’s involvement with the Peter Obi candidacy.
“LP is asking every legal citizens of Nigeria at home and all over the World to openly show concern and shout to the World to save the life of the one divinely anointed hope and Messiah carrying the grace to lead the nation to the promised land from a planned assassination by the ruling APC.“
Labour Party called on Nigerians to help watch over Obi who it said remained the only beacon of hope for the emergence of a new nation.
The party said it had become obvious that the anti-democratic forces holding the country down had connived against those coming to rescue the country.
