—Lai Mohammed is delusional, needs medical attention – PDP
By Bode Olagoke and Samuel Ogidan
All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of inciting the violence that followed the announcement of the new Emir of Kano, Alhaji Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, on Sunday, in an apparent attempt to destabilise the state.
It urged the Kano state Attorney-General to prosecute all PDP officials involved in this act of destabilisation.
In a statement issued yesterday in Lagos by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the statement issued by PDP’s Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, congratulating one of the contenders long before the Kano state government announced the new emir was premeditated and calibrated to incite violence.
APC wondered why a ruling party, which had access to Kano or any state government, would rush to the media to congratulate a contender who had not been selected, without even contacting the selecting authority to ensure the veracity of whatever news it might have heard.
“What is so urgent about congratulating the new Emir that could not have waited for a few hours for the appropriate authority to make an official announcement?”
The opposition party said when the announcement was eventually made and the contender who had already been congratulated lost out, it was only natural that his supporters would feel shortchanged.
The party said: “It is, therefore, obvious that the PDP, through its National Publicity Secretary went out of their way to stoke the fire of violence in Kano.
“Since we live in a country which is being governed by the rule of law, the best option open to the Kano state government is for the state Attorney-General to immediately initiate criminal proceedings against PDP and its officials for incitement. Whatever explanations they have for their irresponsible and premeditated actions they should reserve for their defence in court.”
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reacted to the statement issued by Lai Mohammed.
PDP had on Sunday sent a statement congratulating the eldest son of the late Emir of Kano, Alhaji Sanusi Ado Bayero, as the new Emir of Kano, but however withdrew the statement with apology.
The party had said the Special Assistant to the party National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Richard Ihediwa, had relied on a false news flash on the AIT and issued a statement in that direction without approval from Metuh.
PDP, in a statement yesterday said, “Our attention has been drawn to an inciting and misleading statement by Lai Mohammed wherein he again exhibited his penchant for insane blackmail by calling for the arrest of the PDP National Publicity Secretary.”
It said: “We are indeed shocked by this statement and wonder what sort of dirty individual that could be so unprofessional, unprincipled and unethical.
“Indeed, it appears that lying Lai Mohammed has gone delusional and requires urgent medical attention. Has he become a low life who can go to any extent to score a cheap a political point?
“It is public knowledge that we made an innocent mistake but immediately withdrew it and tendered an unreserved apology well before the official announcement of the new emir was made.”
Continuing, it said: “What does Lai Mohammed have to say to Malam Lamido Sanusi Lamido himself who tweeted at about 8.59 am that same Sunday that Alhaji Lamido Ado Bayero has emerged emir? What does he have for credible electronic and print media organisations that broke the news of the emergence of Ado Bayero as emir upon which prominent Nigerians issued statements congratulating him.”