Nigerians have reacted as Sam Omatseye, Chairman of The Nation newspaper editorial board, has asked Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), to call his supporters to order.
In a tweet on Tuesday, Omatseye, also a columnist with thetre newspaper, alleged that Obi’s supporters are threatening his life.
“Mr. Peter Obi, call you[r] supporters to order. They are calling and issuing death threats. If anything happens to me, you will be held responsible!!!!,” Omatseye tweeted.
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Mr. Peter Obi, call you supporters to order. They are calling and issuing death threats. If anything happens to me, you will be held responsible!!!!
— Sam Omatseye (@samomatseye) August 2, 2022
Omatseye’s tweet comes hours after an opinion article he wrote entitled ‘Obi-tuary,’ which was published in The Nation newspaper on Monday.
In the article, the columnist said Obi’s candidacy has turned out to be an excuse for “closet Biafrans to betray open emotions about Biafra without being accused of it”.
“This includes intellectuals who did not show mercy to him while he reigned in Anambra as a pharisaic chief executive. It is like wearing a colour beneath another colour. Obi has become a shelter for both miscreants and activists of the crowd,” the article reads in part.
“Obi knows this. He is happy to be their catharsis, to be their excuse for unfurling their bile at the system, for acting like revolutionaries.
“He is playing to it by acting as though he is the saint of Nigerian politics. Perhaps the purists of the Biafran cause are unhappy, and they unleashed a past video clip of Kanu on social media. In it, Kanu lashes out at Obi as governor and states what this essayist wrote about him over building a NEXT supermarket while still the governor of Anambra state.”
However, the article has elicited sharp criticisms from supporters of the LP candidate, accusing Omatseye of bias.
What were we expecting from Nation Newspaper owned by Tinubu?
This is why the media must be protected at all cost. As the watchdog of the society, it should be protected from being influenced by money bags and politicians
— 2022 Commonwealth Games (@Guarantor2011) August 1, 2022
Muslim-Muslim ticket:
media: Ignore religion and face competence.
Peter Obi visits church :
Media: Peter Obi is using Religion as a bait.
Ori gbo gbo yin ti daru
— Toluwani (@T_akinpade) August 1, 2022
Tinubu goes to mosque. It is normal. He did Muslim Muslim they said it is not about religion. He brought bishops they said they are upcoming bishops lol. Obi a christian visiting churches it is now termed political. If they see how religion plays a part why do muslim Muslim.
— Sultan of Owerri (@iheme_joshua) August 1, 2022
Where was @samomatseye when @officialABAT made headlines by assembling 2500 Islamic clerics to offer prayers for his presidential race in Kano?
Abeg gettat respectfully sirhttps://t.co/ntACTOFZ0t https://t.co/hxfN976pQh
— Mr. Universe (@mruniverse_01) August 2, 2022
Former aide to former president Goodluck Jonathan, Pastor Reno Omokri, has reacted to the alleged death threats of Sam Omatseye.
However, reacting to the death threats Omokri said: “Sam Omatseye is one of the most intelligent men in Nigeria. We belong to different political camps, but he is a near genius with the pen. A million IPOB mob can’t bring him down!
“May God protect Sam and his family from these disguised IPOB mobs. In Christ’s Name!
“You say you are not IPOB. Look at what you are doing to Sam Omatseye. Is it not exactly the same IPOB strategies you used on me? Go and study how IPOB operates. It is the same modus operandi these guys are using. Death threats, organised social media bullying, etc!”
