Atiku calls for Lai’s arrest, says there are plans to indict him

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has raised an alarm over an alleged plan to implicate him by some people he described as ‘unscrupulous elements.’

In a statement released on his behalf by Paul Ibe, his spokesperson. Atiku said the ‘anti-democratic elements’ are planning to cause crises in some parts of the country and accused him of sponsoring the crises.

The former vice-president also called for the arrest of the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed over his comments that he is planning to sabotage President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

The statement read, “We wish to blow the whistle as an early-warning alert of the grandiose scheme being put together by some unscrupulous elements aimed at jeopardising the reputation of His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar in the coming days and weeks.

“By the merit of what is beginning to unfold, there are plans to create some upsets across the country whereby alleged perpetrators of such crimes will engage in phantom names-dropping of Atiku Abubakar and some senior personalities in the Peoples Democratic Party.

“Already, we are abreast of some other plans to plant fictitious stories in some mushroom media outlets aimed at discrediting Atiku and his political party, the PDP.

Atiku said some people are planning to destroy his reputation. (ChannelsTV) Pulse Nigeria

“It, therefore, becomes preponderant that we alert the public of this demonic plan and to say that it will be imprudent to compromise the peace and security of Nigerians in order to score a cheap political goal.

“Towards this end, and for the umpteenth time, we call on the Federal Government to be awake to its responsibilities of providing security and ensuring peace, and to desist from actions and utterances that are capable of exposing our fault lines.

“It is very unsettling that senior administration officials, especially those who are the mouthpiece of government will make reckless but calculated comments to tarnish the image of Atiku Abubakar and government will sit idly on it.

“With the conclusion reached by relevant security outfits that there is no evidentiary proof to back the claim by Lai Mohammed that the opposition was planning to upstage the government, we demand that the information minister should be arrested for a breach of security and an apology rendered to Atiku Abubakar and the PDP.”

You'll recall that Atiku recently demanded an apology and N500m from Buhari’s aide, Lauretta Onochie allegedly for defaming him.

In one of her tweets, Onochie said the presidential candidate of the opposition party was on a watch list in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Reacting to this, in a letter dated May 14, 2019, and addressed to Onochie by his lawyer, Mike Ozekhome threatened to begin a N2 billion suit against her if she refused to meet his demands.