In an attempt to damage his reputation, videos purporting to show that Peter Obi led hunger protesters in Abuja and advocated for war against Northerners have gone viral. The former Labour Party presidential candidate has lamented that he is being purposefully blackmailed by certain individuals.
According to Obi, Reno Omokri, a controversial social media influencer, altered and misrepresented his remarks during his address at Professor A.U. Nnonyelu’s inauguration in the video that was shared online.
He said that, in contrast to the Reno video that went viral online, he was calling for war against corruption, insecurity, and economic misery. He clarified that he did not declare war on Northerners.
“I have noticed some deliberate and well-orchestrated efforts by some persons to blackmail me into conforming to some of their nefarious agendas. Their dubious moves have led to the false circulation of a video from my recent keynote speech at the installation of Rotarian Professor A. U. Nnonyelu in Anambra State. They have twisted the video to suit their motive to suggest that I declared war on Northerners when, in fact, I spoke about declaring war on economic stagnation, insecurity, and corruption.”
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Obi further explained that the footage of the leading demonstrators in Abuja on the first day of the nationwide hunger protest had been altered, as the footage that was made public was shot when he visited the LP headquarters in Abuja. He went on, saying that he was at the headquarters to settle disputes between the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Labour Party (LP).
“Another video circulating online, supposedly showing me leading a protest in Abuja, is also false. The video was actually taken during my visit to the Labour Party HQ, where I mediated a clash between the Labour Party and the NLC.
“The video was conveniently edited to create a false narrative, and those responsible have been paid to spread this misinformation. This kind of misinformation has no place in our democracy, where truth and honesty should prevail.
“This misrepresentation is part of a larger narrative of blackmail, aimed at fitting me into their malicious agenda. I remain committed to a new Nigeria where justice, equity, and caring for the citizens will prevail over the greed of a few,” Obi stated as much.
Obi bemoaned the fact that misleading narratives were created in the videos through editing. According to him, social media users who shared content were compensated for their efforts. misinformation will not help Nigeria’s democracy, he said
