In response to the Middle Belt Movement’s purported gag order against Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s candidate for president in 2023, the LP has attacked the movement.
In a statement released by Emmanuel Idakwo, the Kogi State Publicity Secretary, the party denounced the alleged gag order placed on Obi.
“Disagreement and rebuttal of the incorrect criticisms of some groups in Middle Belt against Peter Obi” was the headline of the statement. It said the following: “We are deeply concerned by the recent imposition of a gag order on the presidential candidate of the Labour Party by some pressure groups in the Middle Belt Pan Nigeria Forum.
“This directive restricts the candidate from making any statements regarding the 2023 presidential election.
“The election, widely recognized as plagued by irregularities, particularly in the transmission of results from polling units to the IREV, has raised serious concerns about the integrity of the electoral processes.”
Idakwo said that it was inappropriate to keep Obi silent about the election, which many people believed to be rigged and unconstitutional.
He emphasized that the former Anambra State governor ought to place the nation’s upcoming elections on a high pedestal.
“The mandate of INEC to ensure that Nigerian citizens’ votes are accurately counted and reflected in the final results has come under scrutiny with reports suggesting discrepancies between votes cast and the results announced. The disenchantment felt by the electorate due to these irregularities undermines the democratic principles upheld by our nation.
“It is imperative that measures are taken to address these concerns and uphold the credibility of the electoral process. Restricting candidates from speaking out on such issues only serves to stifle transparency and hinder the path towards a fair and just election outcome.
“We call for a reevaluation of this seeming statement that appears to be the hands of Esau but the voice of Jacob,” he said.
According to Idakwo, the European Union Report on the Presidential Election is a thorough examination and criticism that acts as a model for electoral procedures all over the world.
