Olisa
Agbakoba, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and former President of the Nigerian Bar
Association (NBA), has criticized the Nigerian Federal Government for charging
Labour Party presidential
candidate Peter Obi with treason. The charge was
leveled against Obi after the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai
Mohammed, warned him against inciting violence over the outcome of the
presidential election. Mohammed had stated that it was wrong for Obi to seek
legal redress while also inciting people to violence.
During an
interview with foreign media outlets in Washington, DC, Mohammed also accused
Obi’s running mate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, of making a treasonous statement when he
said that President-elect Bola Tinubu should not be sworn in as president.
However, Agbakoba has argued that the allegations against Obi and Baba-Ahmed
are false.
Agbakoba
believes that Obi and Baba-Ahmed have the right to express their views on the
presidential election outcome, as they are merely stating their opinions. He
also pointed out that treason requires a violent act, and making a statement
about what one thinks should be done with Peter Obi does not constitute
treason. According to him, treason is defined in the criminal code with
specific elements, and simply making a speech is not treason.
