Your Call For President Tinubu’s Resignation Is Childish, Hollow— Presidency Tackles Peter Obi
The Presidency has strongly criticised the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, over his call for President Bola Tinubu to resign, describing the demand as "childish and hollow."
In a statement issued on Monday, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said Obi's comparison of Nigeria's political situation with the recent resignation announcement by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was misplaced and failed to reflect Nigeria's constitutional realities.
According to Onanuga, Nigeria operates a presidential system of government, unlike the United Kingdom's parliamentary system, and therefore the President's tenure is determined by elections and constitutional provisions.
"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," the statement read.
The presidential aide argued that recent electoral victories recorded by the ruling party in Ekiti, Nasarawa, Enugu, Ondo and Rivers states demonstrated President Tinubu's popularity among Nigerians.
"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," Onanuga said.
Defending the administration's handling of security challenges, the Presidency maintained that President Tinubu inherited longstanding security problems but had recorded significant successes in combating insurgency and banditry.
The statement claimed that thousands of terrorists had been neutralised, hundreds of kidnapped victims rescued and security operations intensified across the country.
"It is laughable that Obi, who, as governor, was a colossal failure, unable to secure lives and property in his small state of Anambra, is now the one calling for President Tinubu's resignation over security breaches in some parts of the country," Onanuga stated.
On the economy, the Presidency dismissed the former Anambra governor’s assertion that Nigeria was in its "worst possible condition," insisting that economic indicators point to improvements under Tinubu's administration.
According to the statement, the economy has posted positive quarterly growth, foreign reserves have surpassed $50 billion, oil production has risen to about 1.8 million barrels per day and government revenues have significantly increased.
"President Tinubu inherited what another successor of Peter Obi described as 'a dead horse economy'. Since then, the Nigerian economy has posted positive GDP growth every quarter, surpassing the global average," the statement added.
The Presidency also highlighted achievements in infrastructure, including the construction of major highways and reforms in the education sector, citing the absence of prolonged strikes by university unions such as the Academic Staff Union of Universities and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions.
On electricity supply, Onanuga accused Obi and his supporters of misrepresenting Tinubu's campaign promises, insisting that the President never guaranteed immediate 24-hour electricity nationwide.
He noted that the administration's signing of the Electricity Act and its metering programme were aimed at reforming the power sector and ending estimated billing.
Addressing the high cost of living, the Presidency argued that economic pressures were not peculiar to Nigeria but were partly driven by global developments, including tensions in the Middle East and disruptions to international supply chains.
Describing Obi's remarks as politically motivated, Onanuga said: "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."
He added that President Tinubu remained focused on implementing reforms, improving security and laying the foundation for long-term prosperity.
"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," the statement concluded.
The Presidency further accused Obi of operating within "self-constructed echo chambers" and promoting what it described as a distorted narrative about the state of the nation.