Peter Obi has denied rumours of his arrest, stating that he is currently at his residence in Onitsha, Anambra State.

His statement comes amid allegations of death threats and counterclaims involving him and Felix Morka, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In a post shared on his official Twitter handle on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, Obi urged his supporters to disregard the rumours of his alleged arrest, emphasizing that the claims were completely untrue. “The recurring fake News on me. I have been made aware of a circulating fake News about my alleged arrest. Let me state unequivocally that these claims are entirely false. I am currently at my home in Onitsha, Anambra State. Such fake News on my person has become a pastime for some people,” Obi stated.

The former Governor of Anambra State recalled a similar incident in 2024 when a rumour surfaced alleging that he was arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS). “Recall last year September, when I was in Rwanda, similar lies had gone out that DSS invaded my house; now, while I was in my home in Onitsha, Anambra State, they said I was arrested in Abuja. The motive of these peddlers cannot be positive but let us not allow baseless rumours to distract us from the critical challenges we face as a nation,” Obi added.

Former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bode George, has criticized Lagos elders for failing to address the state’s pressing issues during their recent visit to President Bola Tinubu.

In a strongly worded statement, George expressed disappointment that the elders prioritized discussions about taking over King’s College instead of tackling critical concerns such as infrastructure decay, unemployment, and poverty.

He described the visit as a missed opportunity to advocate for the well-being of Lagos residents.

It is a well-known fact that these elders are prominent Lagosians from Lagos Island, the foremost commercial centre in Nigeria. Yet, instead of highlighting the dire state of roads, markets, and other critical infrastructure, they focused on secondary issues,” George said.

He pointed out the worsening condition of municipal roads near the Oba of Lagos’ palace, including areas like Jankara Market and Idumagbo, which have been neglected for over 20 years.

He also highlighted the plight of Lagos’ youth, citing widespread unemployment and poverty, and called for immediate government intervention through job creation and skills acquisition programs.

Felix Morka, spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has denied threatening the life of Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP).

On Monday, January 6, Obi, a former governor of Anambra state, claimed his life was under threat due to his criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration. In his New Year message to Nigerians, Obi raised concerns about the hardship citizens are facing and “institutional corruption.”

Responding to Obi’s remarks, Morka had described him as a “prophet of doom” and said, “he has crossed the line so many times and has it coming to him whatever he gets.” This statement led Obi to allege that his life was being threatened.

In a statement on Tuesday, January 7, Morka rejected the accusation, saying Obi should stop spreading falsehood. “While everyone has a right to free speech, no one has a right to peddle misinformation or outright falsehood,” he stated. “The right to free speech granted by our country’s Constitution is not Mr Obi’s exclusive right but a right that is available to all Nigerians, including Morka.”

“Mr Obi cannot disseminate misinformation and demand or expect that no one should disagree or challenge his false narrative.” Morka also accused Obi of leading a “mob” that issues threats to those who oppose him. “Many eminent and highly respected elder statesmen have been serially attacked, humiliated and bullied by Obi’s online followers. Obi has never condemned their conduct or called them to order,” he alleged.

“Obi must think himself to be Nigeria’s sacred cow, the super citizen, quintessential, without blemish, beyond reproach, always right, never wrong, and endowed with the supreme and inalienable right to deride, castigate, intimidate, blackmail and incite Nigerians against other political leaders who disagree with him, even those who defeated him decisively in the last general election.”

“Mr Obi is not entitled to any monolithic or exclusive constitutional or extraterrestrial liberty over and above any other citizen,” Morka added. “That is unacceptable. As a public figure, Mr. Obi bears a responsibility to provide accurate and truthful information,” he said.