The Chief Spokesman for the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council, Yunusa Tanko, has called the allegations in the petition sent to the Department of State Services by his All Progressives Congress counterpart, Festus Keyamo, “baseless.” Tanko’s response comes hours after Keyamo wrote to the DSS accusing Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and his running mate, Datti Baba‑Ahmed, of making incendiary comments that could incite rebellion against the federal government and President‑elect Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
Keyamo also alleged that Obi recruited young social‑media influencers to post inflammatory messages intended to create post‑election panic among Nigerians. Attempts to have Keyamo substantiate these claims were unsuccessful; he refused to disclose the name and exact location of the hotel where the influencers were allegedly staying in Abuja, insisting that such sensitive details should be handled by security agents rather than leaked to the media.
In a chat with our correspondent, Tanko criticized the minister, saying he avoided addressing issues of national concern despite claiming to be a “patriotic citizen.” While denying that Datti called for insurrection or committed any treasonable act, the Labour Party spokesman emphasized that the running mate is a free citizen entitled to his fundamental right to freedom of expression. He described Keyamo’s accusations as “baseless,” labeling him a “known rabble‑rouser” who seeks political relevance and “riles up the polity on social media.” Tanko added that Keyamo’s talk of “healing” implies that Nigeria is “sick,” acknowledging that the February 25 presidential election and the March 18 governorship and state‑assembly polls were marred by rigging, high‑level violence, voter suppression, and intimidation.
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