Eshioromeh Sebastian in Abuja
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, has dismissed the political defection and renewed presidential ambition of Mr. Peter Obi, stating that “only a madman” would entrust Nigeria’s leadership to the former Anambra State governor.
Onanuga’s remarks follow Obi’s formal departure from the Labour Party (LP) and his entry into the African Democratic Congress (ADC), marking his fourth political party in recent years—having previously been a member of APGA, the PDP, and the LP.
The presidential aide, in a post on his social media accounts on Wednesday, argued that Obi’s political journey is fuelled not by persistent bitterness over his third-place finish in the 2023 presidential election.
According to Onanuga, Obi continues to claim he was “robbed of victory,” a position contradicted by empirical analyses of the poll which suggested he could not have won and benefitted from “anomalous polling figures” in the South-East.
“At his event, Obi’s bitterness was evident. What concerned me most were his references to books, professors, and other nations to buttress his belief that he has learnt from the masters and that Nigeria should be entrusted to him because he claims to know the secrets of national development”, Onanuga stated.
He dismissed this posturing as unfounded, reminding the public of Obi’s eight-year tenure in Anambra State, which he described as “abysmal failure in a small state.” He asserted that Obi “sorely lacks the leadership pedigree, beyond being a successful importer.”
The presidency’s spokesman fundamentally challenged Obi’s proposed development model.
“Obi’s reasoning is flawed. Nations are not identical, and what worked in Indonesia or the USA may not necessarily work in Nigeria. No leader can move a country forward by simply copying and pasting models from elsewhere. Nations require original thinkers, not copycats. Homegrown solutions are essential for proper development.”
In stark contrast, Onanuga presented the Tinubu administration as the exemplar of this original, strategic leadership. He listed a series of achievements since May 29, 2023, which he claimed Obi is “too consumed by animosity and his small-mindedness to acknowledge.”
The restructuring of the economy and the elimination of the “wasteful” petrol subsidy.
A shift in focus to gas development, attracting foreign and local investment to the sector.
Rising foreign reserves, a stabilising exchange rate, and decelerating inflation.
The launch of ambitious infrastructure projects like the Lagos-Calabar and Sokoto-Badagry superhighways.
Forthcoming tax reforms aimed at harmonising the tax regime and increasing the tax-to-GDP ratio.
“For the past two years and seven months, Tinubu has demonstrated effective leadership anchored in strategic policies and reforms,” Onanuga declared.
He concluded by characterising Obi’s latest move as a political downgrade, predicting a repeat of the 2019 scenario. “Obi is so blind that he cannot see all these achievements, as he jumped from Labour to ADC, where he will play second fiddle and end up being Atiku’s running mate in 2027, like we witnessed in 2019.”
As of the time of publication, Mr. Peter Obi and his camp have not issued an official response to these pointed accusations from the presidency.
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