By James Adamu in Abuja
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Biodun Ajiboye, has stated that opposition leader Peter Obi lacks the capacity to match President Bola Tinubu’s governance record, declaring that “not even a million Obis” could outperform the current administration.
The party stalwart made the assertion during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today program, where he presented what he called indisputable evidence of Tinubu’s superior leadership credentials.
Ajiboye systematically contrasted both leaders’ records, citing Tinubu’s economic reforms and security strategies as unmatched achievements.
“Bring a million Obi, he can’t do better, I know, I can even take a bet on it. What miracle will he perform in government? What miracle was he able to perform in Anambra?
“Bring the records. How can you say he was successful in Anambra? He wasn’t. He was even much younger then. He was only chairman of a bank. Do you need to study Accounting and Finance to be the chairman of a bank?” Ajiboye asked.
Ajiboye questioned Obi’s political qualifications, stating, “What is Obi’s particular qualification, a quality that makes him feel he can be the best Nigerian president? Let him come and tell me.”
Speaking in defense of the administration’s economic policies, the APC stalwart maintained that President Tinubu’s tough but critical decisions – including the fuel subsidy removal and naira floatation – were imperative measures to salvage Nigeria’s economy from imminent collapse.
“We were subsidising electricity and fuel. Any nation doing all these must have a highly productive economy, but we don’t. At the point Bola Tinubu came, he said, ‘No, I will not allow this country to go down like this. Let us stop and re-evaluate.’ Is that too much to ask for a country that wants to make progress?
“The only question we should ask ourselves now is: do we want to go through the tough times now and enjoy later, or do we want to continue and crash completely? The nation was going to crash if such steps were not taken,” he argued.
Ajiboye added that opposition leaders such as Atiku Abubakar, Obi, and Nasir El-Rufai were “unwilling to face the reality” confronting the country, and maintained that Tinubu’s record as Lagos governor proved he was a better fit for Nigeria’s top job.
“All those things that the opposition people are saying, they are saying them to save their faces. Tinubu’s administration and policies took Nigeria from the dungeon. Nigeria didn’t have a productive economy, but he came in with reforms,” Ajiboye said.
Peter Obi, was the vice-presidential candidate for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) alongside Atiku Abubakar in the 2019 elections, departed the party in 2022 after realising he would not secure their presidential nomination. He subsequently joined the Labour Party, becoming their presidential candidate in the 2023 election, where he finished in third place.
Obi has consistently reaffirmed his presidential aspirations, maintaining that a single four-year term would be sufficient for him to implement effective governance for Nigeria.
The former Anambra governor, who now aligned with an opposition coalition organised under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has emphasised that their alliance aims to produce a competent and compassionate leader capable of addressing the nation’s challenges.
This coalition brings together notable political figures including Atiku Abubakar, former Senate President David Mark, and former state governors Rauf Aregbesola, Rotimi Amaechi, and Nasir El-Rufai. Obi maintains that this united opposition front presents Nigeria’s best opportunity for meaningful political change.
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