Obi tells Tinubu to focus on the job instead of attacking him, demands N5b in compensation from Onanuga or face legal battle   

Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) has advised President Bola Tinubu to focus on alleviating the suffering of Nigerians instead of deploying agents to attack him as if he were the one with presidential power to tackle problems.

 

Obi was reacting to the X post at the weekend by Tinubu’s spokesman Bayo Onanuga who accused Obi of plotting mayhem through the protest youths are planning against hunger from August 1.

 

Onanuga also painted Obi as a failed presidential candidate and insisted he should be held responsible for whatever crisis emanates from the protest.

 

Obi replied in his own tweet by urging his attackers to focus their energy on making Nigeria a better country.

 

“I urge you to channel your energy and resources towards helping everyday Nigerians who are struggling to find their next meal, secure education for their children, gain employment, and access adequate healthcare,” he posted on X.

 

“Rather than fabricating lies, you and your paymasters should listen to the cries of the poor, who cannot afford medicine and who are uncertain about their next meal.

 

“Pay attention to the voices of reason from individuals and institutions that emphasize the plight of our citizens. Let us unite in building a nation where everyone can thrive.”

 

 

Obi has also written to Onanuga, demanding the retraction of his claim that he (Obi) was the brain behind the protest being planned for August.

 

Onanuga made the claim on July 20, 2024, on his X handle @aonanuga1956 saying: “ Peter Ob’s supporters are the people planning mayhem in Nigeria” and “Obi should be held responsible for anarchy.”

 

 

Writing through his counsel, Alex Ejesieme (SAN) of the Madiba Chambers, Obi said that the allegation which was widely published in social and mainstream media and read by many within and outside the country maligned his hard-earned reputation as a man who indulges in violence when all his antecedents are vivid that he abhors violence even in the face of extreme provocation.

 

“Consequently, we have our client’s mandate to demand that you retract the statement made in the publication and tender an unreserved apology to him within 72 hours of the receipt of this letter in not less than 4 National Dailies to wit: Vanguard, THISDAY, Punch and the Cable, including your verified X @aonanuga1956.

 

“Our client is also making an unequivocal demand for the monetary damage of N5b for the embarrassment your defamatory publication has caused him and his family,” the letter said.