Peter Obi Alleges Threats to Life Following New Year Message

Labour Party leader Peter Obi claims his New Year message has sparked threats to his life, urging Nigerians to prioritize peace and unity in 2025.

Peter Obi, the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, has claimed that his life has been threatened after he criticized President Bola Tinubu’s administration in his New Year message.

Obi’s accusation comes after a statement attributed to Felix Morka, the national spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC), during a recent interview.

Morka reportedly stated, “Peter Obi has overstepped numerous times and deserves whatever consequences he faces.”

During his New Year press conference on Thursday, Obi expressed concern over the country’s political, economic, security, and healthcare conditions.

The ex-governor of Anambra State stated that Nigeria’s political, economic, and security conditions are deteriorating daily, despite the government’s assertions and claims of progress in various areas.

“Our national challenges are evidently increasing, and our country’s progress is clearly regressing. The indicators unmistakably reflect our downturn; therefore, they reveal a troubling narrative,” Obi stated.

Nigeria continues to be one of the world’s centers for poverty, with over 100 million individuals living in extreme conditions and more than 150 million experiencing multidimensional poverty. Over the last 18 months, under the current administration, this situation has worsened considerably.

As a nation, we have declined from being Africa’s largest economy in 2014, when our GDP was $574 billion and per capita income exceeded $3,500. Today, we rank fourth on the continent with a GDP of about $200 billion—less than half of what it was ten years ago—and a per capita income of just around $1,000.

In response to Morka’s statement in a post on his X handle on Monday, Obi questioned whether he had “really crossed the line” after facing threats against his life, family, and associates following his New Year’s message.

He invited anyone who believes he has overstepped to indicate where it occurred, emphasizing his dedication to maintaining decorum.

The former governor also promised to remain outspoken in his commitment to speak truthfully, particularly as the country “moves toward undemocratic practices.”

In his post, he states: “I’m posing this question as my New Year’s message has resulted in threats to not only my life but also the lives of my family and those close to me. Although I’ve received a variety of messages, Mr. Felix Morka has taken it further by accusing me of ‘crossing the line’ and warning that I will face repercussions.”

If I have indeed overstepped, I welcome anyone to bring it to my attention, as I am dedicated to maintaining proper decorum. Nevertheless, I refuse to be silenced in my commitment to speaking the truth, particularly as our nation increasingly leans toward undemocratic practices.

We are gradually becoming an authoritarian and repressive regime, where freedom of expression is being systematically stifled. May we find the strength to build a better and freer society for our children’s sake.