The Presidency has rejected calls by Peter Obi for President Bola Tinubu to resign, describing the demand as “childish,” “hollow,” and a diversion from what it says are recent political and governance achievements recorded by the administration and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The response was contained in a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, following remarks by Obi urging Tinubu to emulate British Prime Minister Keir Starmer by stepping down over insecurity, economic hardship and alleged unfulfilled campaign promises.
According to Onanuga, Obi’s comparison between Nigeria and the United Kingdom was misplaced because the two countries operate different systems of government.
“Peter Obi’s call for President Tinubu’s resignation is childish and hollow. It is not a call to hold the leader accountable. It is merely a political grandstand and an unworthy distraction,” Onanuga said.
He further argued that Obi’s position reflected a misunderstanding of Nigeria’s constitutional arrangement.
“Our country does not run a parliamentary system of government like the UK. We run a presidential system, with the President elected to a fixed four-year term,” he added.
Earlier, Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), had called on Tinubu to accept responsibility for what he described as worsening economic and security conditions in the country.
In a statement titled “Owning Up to Leadership Failures and Political Responsibility,” Obi said the resignation of Starmer highlighted the importance of accountability in public office.
He recalled that Tinubu had criticised former President Goodluck Jonathan during the Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction crisis and had campaigned on promises of improved electricity supply, enhanced security and economic prosperity during the 2023 presidential election.
According to Obi, those promises have yet to be realised.
“Electricity supply remains unreliable, insecurity has intensified in many areas, including kidnappings, and economic hardship has deepened rather than eased,” he said.
The former Anambra State governor also maintained that key sectors, including security, infrastructure, transportation and anti-corruption efforts, have deteriorated under the current administration.
Responding to the criticisms, the Presidency said Obi overlooked what it described as measurable progress made in areas such as security, infrastructure, education and economic management.
Onanuga pointed to recent APC victories in elections conducted in Ekiti, Nasarawa, Enugu, Ondo and Rivers states as evidence of sustained public support for President Tinubu and the ruling party.
“The election results, some early referendum of sorts, show that President Tinubu and his party are popular with Nigerians,” he said.
Defending the administration’s security record, the presidential aide said intensified military operations, improved intelligence gathering and the deployment of modern technology had resulted in the rescue of hundreds of abducted victims and the neutralisation of thousands of terrorists and criminal elements.
He also cited sustained GDP growth, rising foreign reserves, increased crude oil production, improved government revenues and ongoing infrastructure projects as signs that the economy is gradually recovering.
Among the initiatives highlighted were the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway, the student loan programme and ongoing reforms in the power sector.
While acknowledging the rising cost of living, Onanuga attributed part of the economic challenges to global developments, including geopolitical tensions and disruptions in international supply chains.
“Leadership is about determination to confront the challenges facing our country and the economy. President Tinubu focuses on solutions, not rhetoric; investing in reforms, stabilising the economy, improving security, and laying the groundwork for a more prosperous Nigeria,” he said.
The presidential aide also accused Obi of presenting a misleading picture of the country’s situation.
“Peter Obi lives in his self-constructed echo chamber, where he reels off lie after lie to himself and believes his self-created reality about the situation in Nigeria. We sympathise with him. That reality he fantasises about is mostly a figment of his imagination,” Onanuga stated.
