Datti Baba-Ahmed Archives

April 12, 2023

I stand by my warnings to Obi, Datti: Lai Mohammed

Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Datti Baba-Ahmed, Peter Obi

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the call for his arrest and prosecution for admonishing Labour Party Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi, over inciting the public to violence is unjustifiable.

The minister stated this on Wednesday in London while reacting to the call by Elder Statesman and Leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Chief Edwin Clark, that he should be arrested and prosecuted for spreading “fake news” about Obi.

Mohammed said he stood by his admonition of Obi and his running mate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, insisting that his advice was never premised on falsehood.

“What will be my offence? Is it by chiding 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 that would be the end of democracy in Nigeria?

“Is it for chiding him for saying that swearing-in Tinubu in May 29 is like swearing-in the military?

“What is the fake news in that?” the minister queried.

He said Baba-Ahmed had never denied his statement made on the live television

Mohammed also said that Obi had also not publicly called his running mate to order over the treasonable utterances.

“The position of the law is clear that anybody who is aggrieved over election results should go to court

“It is not to start threatening Nigerians and heating up the polity simply because you lost an election,” he said.

Mohammed stressed that the APC won the presidential election “fair and square” and INEC was right in declaring Tinubu the winner.

He reassured Nigerians and the international community that the president- elect would be sworn-in on May 29.

April 4, 2023

Peter Obi, Datti have committed treason: FG

Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Datti Baba-Ahmed, Peter Obi

The Federal Government said the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi and his running mate Datti Baba-Ahmed have committed treasonable acts in their opposition to the 2023 election results.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed made the statement while speaking in Washington DC, with some international media organizations.

The Nigerian minister accused Obi of inciting people to violence over the outcome of the Presidential elections.

During the respective interactions with the media organizations, the minister said it was wrong for Obi in one breadth to seek redress in court over the outcome of the polls and in another breadth incite people to violence.

“Obi and his Vice, Datti Ahmed cannot be threatening Nigerians that if the President-elect, Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is sworn in on May 29, it will be the end of democracy in Nigeria.

“This is treason. You cannot be inviting insurrection, and this is what they are doing. Obi’s statement is that of a desperate person, he is not a democrat that he claimed to be. A democrat should not believe in democracy only when he wins election,” he said.

The minister said in challenging the election results, there was no pathway to victory for either Obi or Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

According to the minister, both Obi and Atiku failed to meet the constitutional requirements to be declared as president.

Lai Mohammed said: “The constitution has stringent criteria for anybody who wants to be president of the country.

“Not only must he have the plurality of vote cast in an election, but he must also have scored one-quarter of votes cast in at least 25 states.

“Only the President-elect met the criteria by scoring 8.79 million votes and having one-quarter of all the vote cast in 29 states of the federation.”

The minister said Atiku who came second with 6.9 million votes was only able to make one-quarter of the votes cast in 21 states.

He said Obi came third with 5.8 million votes but won only one-quarter of the votes cast in 15 states.

“You cannot win an election in a poll where you came to a distant third position and failed to meet constitutional requirements.

“Peter Obi, while complaining of fraud has not disowned his victory in Lagos,” he said.

Elaborating on his mission to the U.S., the minister said he was there to correct the negative narratives being promoted by naysayers and opposition on the election.

He said the opposition, having lost in the election were alleging fraud, calling for its cancellation and constitution of an interim government.

“We have come here to balance that skewed narratives and to tell the world unambiguously that the just concluded general election in Nigeria is the fairest, most transparent, and authentic in the history of Nigeria.

“The election is the fairest and most credible because of the introduction of the Bimodal Voters Verification System (BVAS) which I regard as a game changer.”

Reported by PMNews

Datti Baba-Ahmed on Channels TV programme

March 31, 2023

Datti Interview: Channels TV slammed with N5m fine by NBC

Channels TV, Datti Baba-Ahmed, NBC

The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has slammed a fine of N5 million on Channels TV for breaking the broadcasting code in an interview programme with Dr Datti Baba-Ahmed, Labour Party Vice Presidential candidate.

The fine was revealed in a letter addressed to the Chief Executive Officer of the television station and dated March 27.

The letter was exclusively obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja.

The letter, with the title: “Broadcast of an Inciting Interview, A Sanction”, was signed by Balarabe Ilelah, the commission’s Director-General.

It read in part:” The NBC monitored the broadcast of a live interview of the running mate of the Labour Party Vice presidential candidate, Dr Datti Baba-Ahmed, by the anchor of Politics Today, Seun Okinbaloye, on Wednesday, March 22.

“Dr Baba-Ahmed said it will be unconstitutional to swear in an elected president on May 29, 2023, because of election irregularities,” Ilelah said in the letter.

He noted that the broadcast was volatile and capable of inciting public disorder and therefore violated some sections of the broadcasting code.

This, according to him, includes the section that said no broadcast shall encourage, or incite, be repugnant to public feelings or contain offensive reference to any person or organisation, alive or dead or generally be disrespectful to human dignity.

Ilelah added that according to the broadcasting code, broadcasters shall ensure that no programme contained anything which amounted to subversion of constituted authority.

He recalled that the NBC had engaged Channels Television several times to consider public interest before any programme is broadcast.

This, he said, was to ensure that the country was not plunged into anarchy.

“Consequently, on the following infractions, Channels Television is hereby sanctioned and shall pay a penalty of N5,000,000 (five million naira) only in the first instance,” he said.

He added that any further infraction by the television station would attract higher sanctions.

“You are advised to pay within two weeks from the day of receipt of this letter or the penalty will be graduated,” the NBC Director-General said.

On Thursday the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council petitioned the NBC over the same programme, drawing attention to several violations of the Broadcasting Code.

Read the petition: http://localhost/bat-ksm/channels-tv-dragged-to-nbc-over-treasonable-datti-baba-ahmed-interview/?fbclid=IwAR3wOa4OGboQTqJqi22lGQWlwlO9b7efmOwq-7tO0iavPzRiy_qYmC9SmW8

March 30, 2023

Channels TV dragged to NBC over treasonable Datti Baba-Ahmed interview

Channels TV, Datti Baba-Ahmed

The APC Presidential Campaign Council has dragged Channels TV to the National Broadcasting Commission, over a reckless interview granted Datti Baba-Ahmed, the vice-presidential candidate of Labour Party.

In a petition sent by Dele Alake, the President-elect’s special Adviser on Media, Public Affairs and Communications, the PCC listed several infractions of the NBC code committed by Datti Baba-Ahmed and the station.

It called on the agency, which regulates broadcast media, to invoke the necessary sanctions on the station.

According to the petition: “It is our considered opinion that the guest Datti Baba-Ahmed was not only provocative but also inciting the public and the Labour Party followers to delegitimise the outcome of the elections but also propagate resistance against the incoming dully elected administration of Bola Ahmed-Tinubu and Kashim Shettima”.

Read the petition below:

The Director General
National Broadcasting Commission
20 Ibrahim Taiwo Way
Aso Villa
Abuja

Dear Sir

PETITION against CHANNELS TV on breach of the Nigerian Broadcasting Code.

1. In line with Section 14.0.1 of the Nigerian Broadcasting Code 6th edition stating the duty of the National Broadcasting Commission to accept complaints from aggrieved persons , bodies or members of the public and investigate as well as apply sanctions where necessary, the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council hereby petitions the Commission on what it considers breaches by CHANNELS TV last week on its programme “Politics Today” which airs daily at 7pm on weekdays.

2. The programme was hosted on CHANNELS TV by Mr Seun Okinbaloye and had the Labour Party Vice Presidential candidate Datti Baba-Ahmed as guest. During the interview session the guest made several incendiary comments impugning the integrity of the 25 February 2023 Presidential elections.

– He said the Labour Party won the elections. This is a fallacy and not correct.
According to the Code , a Broadcaster is liable when his guest is allowed to make a wild statement that is inaccurate and not based on fact. The only factual figures empirically collated as the final result is the one released by the Independent National Electoral Commission which placed Labour party as third.

– The guest on the programme in question Datti Baba -Ahmed said the President of the country Muhammadu Buhari should not swear in the President -elect because he did not score 25% vote in the FCT, being one of the prerequisites for being declared winner. This is a subversive statement since the matter is before the tribunal and is among the issues submitted in their petition to the courts for adjudication. Therefore until and unless the court rules otherwise, the status quo is the INEC position as declared in the final results

The guest Datti Baba Ahmed’s comments about Labour Party winning the presidential vote undermines constituted authority given to INEC in the 1999 Constitution as the body vested with the powers to conduct and announce the results of national general elections in Nigeria. Any other figures will have to be certified by the tribunal as the authentic one

-Therefore Mr Datti’s comments that the INEC certificate of return issued to the President-elect is a “dud cheque” and is null and void is not only divisive , subversive but also inciting and inflammatory.

The Code states in Section 3.8.1(b) that

” A Broadcaster shall ensure that no programme contains anything which amounts to subversion of constituted authority or compromises the unity or corporate existence of Nigeria as a Sovereign state”.

– The statement by Mr Datti Baba-Ahmed later on the same programme that if “President Buhari should hand over to the President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu by May 29, that would be the end of democracy” is another case of unguarded utterance.

– This is in breach of Section 5.3.3(b) which states that –

“A Broadcaster shall avoid inflammatory and divisive matters in it’s provocative form in using political material”.

Furthermore , Section 3.0.2.1 states that –
“No Broadcaster shall encourage or incite to crime, lead to public disorder or hate , or repugnant to public feelings” materials that cause disaffection.

3. By denying the authenticity of the INEC Presidential election results Mr Datti is at liberty to seek for the voiding of the results, but until the court or tribunal upturns those results they remain the authentic results. CHANNELS TV cannot encourage him to use its platform to create anarchy by disputing results on air without corroborating his facts.

4. In asking the President not to swear in the President-elect he is subverting the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC’s constitutionally guaranteed authority.

5. In using words like “handing over to the President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu will be the end of democracy” he is not only promoting a threat but instigating a call to rebellion against the state.

This is antithetical to the use of the media for social harmony and peaceful coexistence.

Prayer

It is our considered opinion that the guest Datti Baba-Ahmed was not only provocative but also inciting the public and the Labour Party followers to delegitimise the outcome of the elections but also propagate resistance against the incoming dully elected administration of Bola Ahmed-Tinubu and Kashim Shettima.

We therefore urge the Commission to invoke the necessary sanctions on CHANNELS TV for the breaches enumerated above.

Yours Sincerely

Bayo Onanuga
Director,Media and Publicity

for Special Adviser, Media, Public Affairs and Communications
APC Presidential Campaign Council
March 28, 2023.

Petition to NBC over Datti Ahmed

March 23, 2023

Rein them in: Peter Obi, Datti Ahmed dragged to DSS

Datti Baba-Ahmed, Peter Obi

Spokesman of the Tinubu-Shettima campaign Festus Keyamo has petitioned the Department of State Services over the reckless statements being made by Peter Obi and running mate Datti Baba-Ahmed.

In a petition sent to the secret police today, Keyamo asked that the agency to rein in the two politicians who he said have been hopping from one media house to the other, “making incendiary comments and claims about the declaration of the President-elect by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)”.

“The latest of such are the comments made by Datti Baba-Ahmed on behalf of himself and Mr. Peter Obi on Channels TV on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, wherein he threatened that if the President-Elect is sworn in on May 29th, 2023, it would “signal the end of democracy”.

“Posing as an accuser, a judge and a jury all by himself, he unilaterally declared the duly elected President-elect as “unconstitutional” and, in a subliminal manner, threatened mayhem if the President-Elect is sworn in on May 29th, 2023.

Keyamo, who is also the minister for labour, accused the Labour Party candidates of planning mayhem over their failed ambition.

“I also have it on good authority that Mr. Peter Obi and Datti Baba-Ahmed have camped some youths in a popular hotel in Abuja with the sole aim of instructing them to push out inciting messages everyday on social media in order to cause panic and fear within the federation and to incite people to riot and social unrest”.

Read the full petition:

Thursday, March 23, 2023

The Director General,
Department of State Services,
Aso Drive,
Abuja.

Dear Sir,

PETITION AGAINST MR. PETER OBI AND DATTI BABA-AHMED FOR MAKING INCENDIARY COMMENTS AND CLAIMS CAPABLE OF CAUSING AN INSURRECTION OR REBELLION AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA AND THE DULY ELECTED PRESIDENT-ELECT.

I write this petition with the full realisation that in a post-election period such as this, there is a need to sooth frayed nerves, lower the temperature and begin the healing process. The President-Elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has issued a statement to this effect a few days ago.

However, it appears the President and Vice-Presidential Candidates of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi and Datti Baba-Ahmed are not prepared to toe this conciliatory path for the sake of peace and national cohesion, whilst exercising their rights to pursue duly laid down constitutional means of addressing their grievances. In this regard, since the declaration of the Presidential election results, they have been hopping from one media house to the other making incendiary comments and claims about the declaration of the President-elect by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). These comments and claims are made, not just within the boundaries of exercising their rights to freedom of speech and the freedom to air their grievances publicly, but they have since crossed the line to call for the outright truncation of democracy by insisting on the adoption of other processes outside the contemplation of our Constitution. In some cases, their privies have even called for the establishment of an Interim Government.

The latest of such are the comments made by Datti Baba-Ahmed on behalf of himself and Mr. Peter Obi on Channels TV on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, wherein he threatened that if the President-Elect is sworn in on May 29th, 2023, it would “signal the end of democracy”. Posing as an accuser, a judge and a jury all by himself, he unilaterally declared the duly elected President-elect as “unconstitutional” and, in a subliminal manner, threatened mayhem if the President-Elect is sworn in on May 29th, 2023.

I also have it on good authority that Mr. Peter Obi and Datti Baba-Ahmed have camped some youths in a popular hotel in Abuja with the sole aim of instructing them to push out inciting messages everyday on social media in order to cause panic and fear within the federation and to incite people to riot and social unrest.

It is noteworthy that Peter Obi and Datti Baba-Ahmed have submitted Elections Petitions to the courts for adjudication, but their conducts and utterances amount to subversion of the processes they have instituted in court and a subversion of our Constitution and the laid-down processes for addressing disputes and grievances. These conducts and utterances are a build-up to something more sinister and it is important you rein them in NOW!

In the circumstance, I submit this petition in my personal capacity as a patriotic Nigerian to invite/arrest, interrogate and after investigation, if necessary, charge both individuals to court for their conducts which amount to incitement and treasonable felony.

Yours most trusted,

FESTUS KEYAMO, SAN, FCIArb (UK)

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Tag: Datti Baba-Ahmed

I stand by my warnings to Obi, Datti: Lai Mohammed

Peter Obi, Datti have committed treason: FG

Datti Interview: Channels TV slammed with N5m fine by NBC

Channels TV dragged to NBC over treasonable Datti Baba-Ahmed interview

Rein them in: Peter Obi, Datti Ahmed dragged to DSS