The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has asked the Federal Government to take a strong stance against Omoyele Sowore, the 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), over his recent comments against President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
The party said Sowore’s attacks were not criticism but “deliberate lies and propaganda” meant to defame leaders and destabilise the country.
In a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, the APC chairman in Rivers State,
Tony Okocha, accused Sowore of being “a serial merchant of discord and purveyor of half-truths.”
“Spreading false news with clear intention to overreach or defame the other’s character or integrity is unacceptable. Attempting to incite Nigerians against the government with the crudity of style is treasonable felony,”Okocha said.
Recently, Sowore had described President Tinubu as a “criminal” and accused Wike of buying luxury houses in Florida with public funds.
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But Okocha dismissed the claims, saying, “In every democracy, criticism is welcome, but what Nigerians must reject are deliberate lies, propaganda, and attempts to defame under the disguise of activism.”
He added, “Sowore has built his entire career on lies. His Sahara Reporters platform is notorious for publishing fabricated stories and half-truths, often used as tools for blackmail and extortion.”
Okocha also reminded Nigerians that Sowore had previously faced charges.
“Only recently, the Nigerian Police charged Sowore with forgery and false publication. He currently stands trial for cybercrime and defamation. His deliberate lies are aimed at inciting public unrest, sowing distrust, and destabilising Nigeria,” he said.
The APC chairman accused Sowore of being “more of an anarchist and a psychopath than a patriot,” pointing to the #RevolutionNow protests he led in 2019, which he described as “an attempted insurrection.”
Okocha said Nigerians would not be swayed by what he called Sowore’s “blackmail” and instead should focus on the achievements of Tinubu and Wike.
“President Tinubu is implementing his 10-point ‘Renewed Hope Agenda.’ The economy is booming! Road infrastructure is verifiable. The trillion-naira Lagos/Calabar expressway is on the fast track. The blind can see it,” Okocha stated.
He urged Nigerians to celebrate what he described as the government’s “gigantic strides” instead of paying attention to “blackmail and baseless allegations.”