DSS Asked To Arrest Obi, Datti-Ahmed For ‘Inciteful’ Comments As Keyamo Files Petition

Festus Keyamo, a spokesperson for the president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has filed a petition before the Department of State Services (DSS) seeking the arrest of the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed.

Keyamo called on the DSS to interrogate and charge Obi and Datti-Ahmed to court for alleged inciteful comments made against Tinubu’s declaration as president-elect.

In the petition acknowledged by the DSS on Wednesday, Keyamo made specific reference to comments made by Datti-Ahmed during an interview which he described as deeply divisive and inflammatory.

During the interview on Channels TV, the LP vice presidential candidate urged Nigeria’s Chief Justice, Olukayode Ariwoola, not to participate in the swearing-in of Tinubu as president because it would amount to “violation” of the constitution.

“By clear and unambiguous provisions of the Nigerian constitution, which must not be breached, Tinubu has not satisfied the requirement to be declared President-elect. Accordingly, there is no President-elect for Nigeria now. Because the declared one violates the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and I know what I’m saying.

“Swearing in a ticket that has not met the constitutional requirement is ending democracy. That is indeed the correct interpretation. You cannot swear in people who have not met the constitutional requirement. if you do it, you have done something unlawful and unconstitutional.

“Mr President, do not hold that inauguration. CJN, your lordship, do not participate in unconstitutionality. It is extreme and I’m saying it. It was more extreme for Yakubu to issue that certificate. It was reckless,” Datti-Ahmed said, adding that democracy would end in Nigeria if Tinubu is sworn in.

But reacting, Keyamo said the LP VP candidate’s words had the potential to incite violence and create further unrest in an already tense political climate.

“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 29u’, 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,” part of Keyamo’s petition to the DSS read.

He added, “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.”