The Presidency has described the call by former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, for the resignation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as hollow and an unnecessary distraction from the nation’s governance priorities.
Responding to Peter Obi’s call for President Tinubu’s resignation, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, in a statement issued on Monday titled “Obi’s Call for President Tinubu’s Resignation: Childish and an Unwarranted Distraction”, described the demand as political grandstanding rather than a genuine effort to hold the government accountable, noting that it came on the heels of the ruling party’s resounding victories in the recent elections.
Mr Onanuga clarified that President Tinubu did not inherit a nation in perfect condition, noting that the security challenges confronting the country are longstanding and deeply rooted.
“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 just hours after President Tinubu’s party recorded resounding victories in the weekend polls.
“Peter Obi’s latest comments calling for President Bola Tinubu’s resignation, based on a comparison with the British Prime Minister’s voluntary exit, are not only misplaced but also reflect a selective and distorted view of Nigeria’s realities since 2023.
“His view is also simplistic, as is often the case anytime he opens his mouth. Obi forgets 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 4-year term. The people of Ekiti State and the senatorial constituents in Nasarawa, Enugu, Ondo, and Rivers have just delivered a resounding victory for President Tinubu and his party,” the statement stated
The election results, some early referendum of sorts, show that President Tinubu and his party are popular with Nigerians. This should be more concerning for Peter Obi and his new Special Purpose Vehicle, NDC, as we move towards the January 2027 election. Obi should wait until the presidential election to know what the people think of Tinubu’s government. Moving to use X to harangue the President out of office is off the mark and anti-democratic.
He maintained that the administration has recorded significant and measurable progress in tackling insecurity since assuming office.
The Presidential Spokesperson highlighted several successful security operations across the country, particularly in the North-East and North-West regions, which have led to the rescue of hundreds of abducted persons from captivity.
Mr Onanuga cited high-profile rescue missions in Borno State and parts of the North-West as evidence of the government’s commitment to restoring peace and strengthening national security.
“It is important to note that President Tinubu did not inherit a country in perfect shape. The security challenges we face today are longstanding and deeply rooted. Yet under President Tinubu’s leadership, Nigeria has made significant, measurable progress. Hundreds of people have been rescued from captivity, including high-profile operations in Borno and the Northwest. Our gallant troops have neutralised terrorist kingpins, sometimes with the help of our foreign allies. Over 15,000 terrorists have been taken off the streets and forests, and security operations have intensified nationwide. President Tinubu has not only sustained but also expanded investments in security by deploying advanced technologies ,drones and by appointing a Special Adviser on Homeland Security to ensure a holistic approach. These actions demonstrate commitment, not failure.” He added
He insisted that despite the complexity of the security situation, the Tinubu administration remains focused on addressing the challenges through sustained military operations, intelligence-driven interventions and coordinated efforts among security agencies.
The Presidency further described Obi’s criticism as ironic, arguing that his record as governor of Anambra State did not place him in a position to lecture others on security management. It contended that Obi’s administration struggled to effectively safeguard lives and property in the state, a situation it said was later acknowledged by his successor, Willie Obiano.
“It is laughable that Obi, who, as governor, was a colossal failure, unable to secure lives and property in his small state of Anambra, as documented by his successor, Willie Obiano, is now the one calling for President Tinubu’s resignation over security breaches in some parts of the country.”
On the economy, the Presidency rejected Obi’s assertion that Nigeria is in its worst condition, arguing that available economic indicators tell a different story.
Mr Onanuga said President Tinubu’s reforms have driven sustained GDP growth, increased oil production, boosted government revenues, strengthened foreign reserves and attracted renewed investor confidence. According to the statement, these gains have provided state governments with greater resources for development while positioning the economy on a path of long-term stability and growth.
“On the economic front, Obi’s depiction of decline and his verdict that “We are in the worst possible condition” ignore verifiable data and global plaudits for President Tinubu’s economic and social policies. President Tinubu inherited what another successor of Peter Obi described as ‘a dead horse economy’. When he came on board in May 2023, President Tinubu introduced bold, courageous policies that his predecessors had shied away from. Since then, the Nigerian economy has posted positive GDP growth every quarter, surpassing the global average. Trade surpluses have been recorded consistently, and foreign reserves have hit new highs—over $50 billion. Oil production has risen from less than one million barrels per day to about 1.8 million, reversing years of decline. Federation revenue is projected to hit over N30 trillion this year, far above the 2022 level of N7.7 trillion. By May this year, N15.7 trillion has already been collected, more than twice the entire revenue collected in 2022.
“State governments now have more resources to pursue development projects in education, infrastructure, health care, housing, and so on. The stock market has soared, with the All-Share Index rising from 50,000 to over 250,000, creating wealth for about 6 million Nigerian investors. The Naira-to-dollar exchange rate has been stable. Foreign Direct and Portfolio Investments are at record highs, reflecting renewed investor confidence, especially in the oil and gas sector.
The Presidential Spokesperson further highlighted that President Tinubu has also set records in infrastructure delivery, building concrete roads that will last 100 years or more across all the country’s geopolitical zones and actualising the Lagos-Calabar and Sokoto-Badagry superhighways, roads dreamt of for decades.
Mr Onanuga acknowledged certain challenges confronting the nation but noted that the situation is further driven by global economic pressures, including recent tensions in the Middle East that have disrupted global supply chains and affected commodity prices.
He also highlighted the administration’s expansion of off-grid solar projects and the uninterrupted academic calendar in public tertiary institutions over the past three years, describing them as evidence of President Tinubu’s commitment to improving power access and sustaining educational stability.
“Unlike leaders before him, President Tinubu has proven not only to be a reform-minded and courageous leader but also an innovator, for instance, replacing expensive petrol and diesel with CNG and offering close to two million Nigerian tertiary students interest-free loans to pursue their education. Are conditions worsening in our country when, in three years of Tinubu’s leadership, we have recorded no disruption of the academic calendar by trade unions such as ASUU or NASU? That is one of President Tinubu’s campaign promises to our students: a four-year programme will be a four-year programme. It has been a promise well kept, which Obi, in his penchant for bad news, has never sung about and will never acknowledge.
Concerning President Tinubu’s campaign promises on power supply, it is misleading for Peter Obi to parrot the claim that candidate Tinubu guaranteed 24-hour electricity for all. What he actually said on that occasion in Lagos and what Obi and his followers have consistently misquoted, for the sake of mischief, was, “Whichever way, by all means necessary, you will have electricity, and you will not pay for estimated bills anymore. A promise made will be a promise kept. If I don’t keep the promise and I come for a second term, don’t vote for me unless I give you adequate reasons why I couldn’t deliver.
No one denies that Nigeria has challenges, especially regarding the high cost of living. But any honest politician will agree this is a global problem resulting from the tensions in the Middle East. Just recently, as inflation was receding in Nigeria, a disruption to the global economy occurred when America and Israel attacked Iran, and Iran responded by closing the Strait of Hormuz, creating disruption in the global supply system and high prices of many commodities, including crude oil. “ He stated
Mr Onanuga said President Tinubu remains focused on solving Nigeria’s challenges through reforms, economic recovery and improved security, insisting that the country is making steady progress under his leadership.
He dismissed Obi’s comments as misleading and disconnected from the realities of the gains being recorded by the administration.
“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 is not waiting to learn from Bangladesh, Rwanda or Egypt. He has a team of thinkers and doers. And Nigeria, under him, has been an exemplar for other nations to copy.
“True leadership means staying the course, learning, adapting, and delivering results. President Tinubu has shown he is up to the task, and Nigeria is on the path to progress.”
Mr. Onanuga added that Obi’s comments reflected a distorted perception of the country’s realities, arguing that the former presidential candidate had consistently overlooked the progress being recorded under the Tinubu administration while focusing solely on negative narratives.
“With his puerile tweet on X, we are now convinced that Peter Obi lives in his self-constructed echo chambers, 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.” He added
