The Presidency has cautioned former Anambra Governor Peter Obi against unfairly targeting President Bola Tinubu over the ongoing leadership crisis in the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
In a statement issued Monday, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, described Obi’s criticisms as “baseless” and stressed that the turmoil within ADC is entirely self-inflicted.
Onanuga recalled Obi’s controversial exit from the Labour Party after the 2023 elections, saying he “failed to demonstrate leadership in resolving the party’s crisis.” According to the Presidency, Obi then pivoted to the Obidient Movement—“more active online than on the ground”—without building it into a viable political structure of his own.
The statement further accused Obi of moving to the “hijacked ADC,” allegedly bought by Atiku Abubakar from Ralph Nwosu, without performing due diligence, resulting in the party’s current turmoil. Onanuga emphasized, “What connection does President Tinubu have with all this? Absolutely none.”
The Presidency insisted that Obi must resolve internal party disputes before launching a credible 2027 presidential bid. “Blackmailing the President over a situation he has no hand in is sheer baloney and an unfair attempt to besmirch his democratic credentials,” the statement read.
Onanuga added that coming third in 2023 does not guarantee Obi similar success in 2027. “President Tinubu, as the incumbent, has achievements to showcase, yet Obi has been blind to acknowledge them. Let him first become a legitimate candidate before casting aspersions,” the Presidency concluded.
