The Presidency has rejected claims that President Bola Tinubu is responsible for the political difficulties facing Peter Obi and the African Democratic Congress. In a statement posted on Monday via the President's X account, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, stated that Tinubu had no role in Obi's departure from the Labour Party or the current ADC crisis. "The President has nothing to do with Obi's abandonment of the Labour Party or the jam he appears to have run into in the ADC," Onanuga said. He accused Obi of abandoning the Labour Party after using it for his presidential bid and failing to build a sustainable political structure from the Obidient movement. Onanuga claimed Obi joined the ADC without proper scrutiny, calling it a party "hijacked" and bought by Atiku Abubakar from Ralph Nwosu. He described the ADC's internal issues as self-inflicted and urged Obi to resolve disputes with figures like Nafiu Gombe. Onanuga added that Obi's third-place finish in 2023 does not guarantee future relevance, especially against an incumbent like Tinubu. The ADC leadership was delisted by INEC on April 1, following a court order to maintain the status quo in the party's leadership tussle.
Bayo Onanuga's sharp critique of Peter Obi exposes the growing friction between the Presidency and opposition figures seeking a foothold in a fragmented political landscape. His assertion that Obi entered the ADC without due diligence suggests that the party may not be the stable vehicle its new entrants expected. For Nigerian voters watching the 2027 jostling, the instability within the ADC raises doubts about its capacity to mount a credible challenge. Political realignments may generate noise, but without internal cohesion, such moves risk being more theatrical than transformative.
