Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) at the 2023 polls, Mr Peter Obi, has raised the alarm that his life and those of family members have come under threat since he released a New Year statement that x-rayed the current state of affairs in the country.
Obi asked whether he had crossed the line by his action.
“Have I really crossed the line?
“I ask the question because my New Year message has now led to threats against my life, my family, and those around me”, Obi wrote on his X handle on Monday.
According to Obi, he has received a series of threatening messages since he addressed the media in Abuja on January 3.
He wrote further, “While I have received all sorts of messages, one Mr Felix Morka has gone further to accuse me of ‘’crossing the line’ and has warned that I will face the consequences.
“I find it necessary to share this message again and urge everyone who has not seen it to watch:
“If I have truly crossed the line, I invite anyone to point it out, as I remain committed to upholding decorum.
“However, I will not be silenced in my resolve to speak truthfully, especially as our nation continues to drift toward undemocratic practices.
“We are increasingly transforming into an authoritarian and repressive regime, where freedom of expression is being systematically suppressed.
“May God help us create a better and freer society for the sake of our children.”
Obi had, in his New Year statement, tackled the administration of President Bola Tinubu, claiming that he had barely done enough to address the country’s “worsening” economic, political and security challenges in the last 18 months.
Obi demanded what he called “vigorous, positive actions” by the administration to bring succour to Nigerians, most of whom he said appeared to be losing hope.
The former governor of Anambra State gave his position on the state of affairs under the Tinubu administration in a 2025 message titled, “Nigeria Needs Selfless And Exemplary Leadership” in Abuja.
“The political, economic and security situation of our country is worsening daily, despite contrary positions and claims by the government of improvement in different spheres of human endeavour.
“Our national challenges are visibly worsening. Our nation and its fortunes are in clear reverse. The indices are clearly indicative of our decline, thus: Our national indices tell a disconcerting story Nigeria remains one of the poverty capitals of the world, with over 100 million people living in extreme poverty and more than 150 million in multidimensional poverty”, he stated.
Giving further statistics to back his argument, Obi said that in the last 18 months, Nigeria had dropped from being the largest economy in Africa, with a GDP of $574 billion and a per capita income of over $3,500 in 2014, “to now ranking fourth on the continent.”
He added, “Our current GDP is less than 50% of what it was a decade ago, standing at approximately $200 billion, with a per capita income of barely $1,000. Nigeria remains one of the most insecure and least peaceful nations in the world, with countless communities and families displaced from their homes and now living in IDP camps.
However, the All Progressives Congress (APC), through its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Felix
Morka, dismissed Obi’s claims, insisting that under 18 months, Tinubu had performed creditably.
The party stated, “In reality, 18 months later, the economy under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, has showed steady record of progress – massive balance of trade surpluses; trillions in stock market wealth creation; a surge in foreign direct investments as a result
Of increased confidence in the economy; enhanced foreign reserve; significant decline in debt servicing ratio from 90 percent to about 64 percent; higher incomes for farmers; massive increase in federal allocation to states and local governments; deliberate and patriotic efforts.”
