Obi: I’ve got your back, Ganduje shields Morka from opposition

The National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, has thrown his weight behind the position of the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, in the flak by the Labour Party (LP) and its 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

Following a verbal attack by Morka on Obi over his New Year remarks, the LP and its supporters demanded a public apology from the APC spokesman and even called on President Bola Tinubu to reprimand him.

But instead of sanction, Morka got a thumb up from his party’s boss for a job well done.

Ganduje, in a statement, yesterday, in Abuja, insisted that there was no iota of truth in the claims by Obi that his life was being threatened over his scathing attack on the APC-led administration.

He described the claims as sheer mischief and outright falsehood, which would have been ignored if not for the need to refute such a baseless narrative.

The APC chief expressed displeasure over the claim shared on Obi’s official X (formerly Twitter) account, labelling it a malicious lie aimed at seeking attention and playing the victim for emotional blackmail.

Ganduje asserted that Obi’s accusations stemmed from a misrepresentation of Morka’s remarks during an interview on Arise TV’s ThisDay Live on Saturday, January 4, 2025.

He stated unequivocally that at no point did Morka threaten Obi or his family.

“By falsely claiming that Morka threatened his life, Obi has libelled Morka to the extreme and incited his online supporters to issue death threats against Morka and his family,” Ganduje said.

He noted that Morka was simply discharging his duties as the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, holding opposition actors accountable for their statements, as is expected in a democratic setting.

The former governor of Kano State further underscored the importance of free speech, a right protected by the Constitution, which applies equally to all Nigerians, including members of the ruling party, and therefore called on Obi to refrain from misinformation and to accept criticism as part of the democratic process.

“Does Obi expect the APC to fold its arms and allow the opposition to propagate falsehood without any response?” Ganduje queried, stressing that the APC would continue to counter baseless allegations with facts against the Tinubu-led government.

Ganduje reiterated the APC’s commitment to upholding democratic principles while holding opposition actors accountable when necessary.