Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has weighed in on the recent defection of former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), describing the move as another chapter in what he called Obi’s “wandering political journey.”
In a statement, Onanuga noted that Obi, who has moved from APGA to PDP to Labour Party and now ADC, still appeared “bitter” about finishing third in the 2023 presidential election.
He said Obi’s claims of being robbed of victory were unfounded, pointing to empirical analyses that showed Obi could not have won and was “fortunate to even emerge third” due to anomalous polling figures in his South East stronghold.
Onanuga criticised Obi’s approach during his ADC launch event, claiming the former presidential candidate relied heavily on references to books, professors, and foreign experiences to justify his suitability for national leadership.
“This posturing should be taken with a pinch of salt, coming from a politician who was an abysmal failure in a small state like Anambra, which he governed for eight years,” Onanuga said.
He added that Obi’s leadership pedigree was limited and that “only the madman he consults in Onitsha would be comfortable handing over Nigeria to him.”
The presidential aide also dismissed Obi’s argument that Nigeria could replicate models from other countries, saying, “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.”
Onanuga contrasted Obi’s approach with the achievements of President Tinubu’s administration since May 29, 2023.
He highlighted efforts to restructure the economy, remove wasteful petrol subsidies, reduce dependence on oil, develop the gas sector, attract investment, stabilize the exchange rate, curb inflation, and implement ambitious infrastructure projects, including the Lagos-Calabar and Sokoto-Badagry superhighways.
He also noted upcoming tax reforms aimed at harmonising the fragmented tax system and boosting revenue.
Concluding his remarks, Onanuga predicted that Obi, by joining the ADC, “will play second fiddle and end up being Atiku’s running mate in 2027, like we witnessed in 2019.”
The comments mark the latest in a series of sharp exchanges between the Tinubu administration and Obi, reflecting ongoing tensions in Nigeria’s political opposition landscape.
