Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed has said the call for his arrest and prosecution for admonishing Labour Party (LP) Presidential candidate, Peter Obi and his running mate, Datti Baba-Ahmed over inciting statement is baseless.
He spoke in London on Wednesday while reacting to the call by Elder Statesman, Edwin Clark that he should be arrested and prosecuted for spreading “fake news” against Obi.
Clark had accused Mohammed of causing more ”divisions in the country” as Minister of Information for eight years now, rather than unite the country.
He said in part; “It is clear therefore that the Minister of Information has constituted himself to become the mastermind and disseminator of fake news. This leaves us with no option than to call on the Attorney General of the nation to undertake thorough investigation of the activities of the Minister and charge him to court.”
But minister maintained his position that what he said about the former Anambra State governor was never premised on falsehood.
Mohammed said; “What will be my offence? Is it by chiding the Vice Presidential candidate of the Labour Party who said on live television that if the President-elect Bola Tinubu is sworn in on May 29, that would be the end of democracy in Nigeria?
“Is it to chide him for saying that swearing in Tinubu on May 29 is like swearing in the military? What is the fake news in that?”
He added;“The position of the law is clear that anybody who’s aggrieved over election results should go to court.
“It’s not to start threatening Nigerians and heating up the polity simply because you lost an election.”
The minister restated his position that he knows the APC won the presidential election “fair and square”, and INEC was correct in declaring Tinubu president-elect.
