The presidency has dismissed claims by Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party and now Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), that his life is under threat, calling the allegations false and misleading. Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, made the remarks in a post on X on Wednesday, responding to a viral clip of Obi alleging he was being targeted by the Tinubu-led APC administration. Obi claimed his vehicle was stopped at an airport and said he feared he might not live to contest the January 2027 general election. He also stated that people were being pressured not to invite him to social events. Onanuga rejected these claims, saying the incident with Obi's car at the airport likely stemmed from a breach of parking regulations and was not evidence of state-sponsored targeting. He described Obi as a "pathological and serial liar" who consistently blames the government for personal setbacks. "Peter Obi's recent claims of being targeted by the government, citing an incident involving his car at the airport, which, by his own account, must have resulted from flouting parking regulations, are simply unfounded and misleading," Onanuga said. He accused Obi of exaggeration and creating baseless narratives to gain sympathy. The presidency has not issued a separate official statement on the matter. Obi has not responded publicly to Onanuga's remarks.
The presidential aide's use of the term "pathological and serial liar" to dismiss Peter Obi's claims marks a sharp escalation in tone, moving beyond rebuttal to personal vilification. The dismissal frames Obi's allegations as mere fabrications, even as he cites specific incidents like the airport stop and social exclusion. If the government sees such statements as routine political theatrics, it risks downplaying concerns that could reflect deeper tensions. The language used suggests a strategy of discrediting rather than engaging.
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