The Presidency has pushed back against claims linking President Bola Tinubu to the internal troubles surrounding former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and the African Democratic Congress (ADC), describing such allegations as baseless.
In a statement shared on Monday via his X account, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said Tinubu had no role in Obi’s political decisions or the issues facing the ADC.
He criticised those blaming the President, saying some politicians were unfairly turning him into a target. According to him, Obi’s exit from the Labour Party and the challenges he is now facing in the ADC are entirely his own doing.
Onanuga also accused Obi of failing to show leadership while he was in the Labour Party, particularly in managing its internal crisis. He described Obi’s departure as a “use-and-dump” approach, arguing that he left without making efforts to stabilise the party.
He further claimed that Obi relied heavily on the “Obidient” movement, which he said was more active online than as a structured political force. According to him, Obi did not take steps to convert that support base into a solid political platform.
Speaking on Obi’s move to the ADC, Onanuga suggested it was driven by the need to latch onto an already existing structure rather than building one from scratch. He added that the ADC itself is dealing with internal issues, which he described as self-inflicted.
He maintained that the President has no connection whatsoever to the crisis within the party, urging Obi and other stakeholders to focus on resolving their differences instead of pointing fingers.
Onanuga also downplayed Obi’s chances ahead of the 2027 elections, noting that his third-place finish in 2023 does not guarantee a similar performance in the future. He added that Tinubu, as the incumbent, has achievements he can present to voters.
He concluded by describing ongoing criticisms of the President as unfair and misleading, insisting that opposition figures should first sort out their internal challenges before looking ahead to future elections.
