The National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Felix Morka, has dismissed allegations made by Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, accusing him of issuing threats against Obi’s life and family.
Describing the claims as a “self-evident malicious lie,” Morka accused Obi of engaging in “attention-seeking” tactics and “emotional blackmail.”
The controversy arose after Obi published a post titled “Have I Really Crossed the Line?” on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday.
In the post, Obi alleged that Morka had threatened him following his New Year critique of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
“My New Year Message has now led to threats to my life, my family, and those around me. One Mr. Felix Morka has gone further to accuse me of ‘crossing the line’ and warned I will face consequences,” Obi claimed.
Obi attributed his concerns to comments Morka made during an Arise TV interview, where the APC spokesman reportedly said, “Peter Obi has crossed the line so many times and has what’s coming to him; whatever he gets, he should manage it.”
However, in a statement issued on Tuesday, Morka refuted the allegations, asserting that his remarks were misrepresented. He clarified that his statements were made in response to a specific question about Obi’s political rhetoric and did not amount to a threat.
“Nothing I said in that interview or elsewhere remotely constitutes a threat to Mr. Obi or anyone else,” Morka stated.
He emphasized that his comments were aimed at Obi’s “malicious and irrational commentary” and formed part of a broader critique of the Labour Party candidate’s political strategies.
During the Arise TV interview, Morka reportedly said, “Mr. Obi is shooting wildly like in the ‘Wild West.’ He is not being rational… Rather than understand why he lost the election, he thinks he can bring down the government with malicious deception. At this point, whatever he gets, he should manage it.”
Morka reiterated his commitment to free speech but cautioned against the spread of misinformation. “While every Nigerian has the right to free speech, no one has the right to spread falsehoods. Democracy thrives on disagreement and debate, but not on the weaponisation of lies,” he said.
He concluded by urging Obi to avoid mischaracterizing his comments, reiterating that his remarks were part of legitimate political discourse and not intended as threats.
