The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has called on the Federal Government to take a firm stance against the 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, over his recent remarks about President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
Rivers APC Chairman, Tony Okocha, in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, described Sowore’s comments as defamatory and a deliberate attempt to incite public unrest.
Okocha noted that while constructive criticism is acceptable in a democracy, spreading what he called “deliberate lies, propaganda and defamation under the guise of activism” was unacceptable.
“Attempting to incite Nigerians against the government with such crudity of style is treasonable felony. Any action capable of undermining public trust and threatening democracy, stemming from malice, cannot be tolerated,” he said.
The APC chairman was reacting to Sowore’s recent comments in which he described President Tinubu as a “criminal” and alleged that Wike acquired expensive properties in Florida, United States, using public funds.
Okocha accused Sowore, founder of the online platform Sahara Reporters, of building a career on “lies, blackmail and half-truths.” He further claimed that Sowore currently faces charges for forgery, false publication, cybercrime and defamation.
“His deliberate lies are aimed at sowing distrust in institutions with the poisonous intention to destabilise Nigeria. A man standing trial for such grave offences ought to rein in himself rather than insult credible leaders working hard to build the nation,” he said.
Recalling the #RevolutionNow protests led by Sowore in 2019, Okocha described him as an “anarchist” rather than a patriot, alleging that the movement was an attempt to topple a democratically elected government.
On the achievements of the present administration, Okocha said President Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope Agenda” was yielding results, citing the Lagos-Calabar expressway project, improved road infrastructure, and stabilization of the naira.
“The economy is booming. Never in the history of Nigeria had over a trillion naira been shared by the three tiers of government. Nigerians should celebrate these strides rather than pay attention to baseless blackmail,” he said.
