He gave you golden opportunity – Presidency reacts to Peter Obi’s interview
Presidency Criticizes Peter Obi’s Recent Interview
The Nigerian Presidency has responded critically to an interview conducted with presidential candidate Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) on Channels Television.
In a statement released Monday via X, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, accused Obi of misrepresenting his political career and failing to acknowledge the results of the 2023 presidential election.
Onanuga labeled the interview a “PR disaster,” asserting that it did not bolster Obi’s prospects for the 2027 general election. He specifically challenged Obi’s comparison of his political shifts among parties to Tinubu’s career, stating that the president has maintained a coherent progressive ideology throughout his political journey, despite changing party affiliations.
Onanuga noted that Tinubu transitioned from the Social Democratic Party (SDP) to several other parties— the Alliance for Democracy (AD), Action Congress (AC), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), and finally the All Progressives Congress (APC)—while remaining within the same ideological framework. In contrast, he characterized Obi’s moves from the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), then to the Labour Party (LP), and now to the NDC as emblematic of a “political nomad.”
The presidential spokesman further suggested that Obi tends to abandon political parties instead of contributing to their growth, claiming that he frequently departs once they no longer align with his ambitions.
“I watched Peter Obi’s interview for about 30 minutes before deciding to turn it off,” Onanuga said. “If the political nomad thought this would revitalize his faltering 2027 presidential ambitions, it has been judged a PR disaster, judging by the backlash to his numerous inaccuracies.”
Onanuga also remarked that Obi was given an opportunity during the interview to clarify his stance on the outcome of the 2023 election.
