Presidency blasts Obi over call for Tinubu’s resignation, says demand is ‘childish, anti-democratic’

The Presidency has criticised Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), over his call for President Bola Tinubu to resign, describing the demand as "childish", "misplaced" and contrary to democratic principles.

Obi had urged Tinubu to step down after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Monday that he would resign amid mounting public dissatisfaction over economic challenges and unmet campaign promises.

Reacting to Starmer's announcement, Obi said the development underscored the need for political accountability and argued that Nigerian leaders should likewise be held responsible for governance failures.

In a statement issued on Monday, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, dismissed Obi's comparison between the United Kingdom and Nigeria as fundamentally flawed.

"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," Onanuga said.

He noted that Nigeria operates a presidential system with a fixed four-year tenure, unlike the UK's parliamentary system where a prime minister can leave office before the expiration of a parliamentary term.

According to the presidential spokesman, Obi should wait until the 2027 general election to test public opinion on Tinubu's administration rather than demanding the president's resignation.

"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 said.

Onanuga also cited the ruling All Progressives Congress' (APC) recent victories in elections, including in Ekiti and some senatorial districts, as evidence of continued public support for the Tinubu administration.

Defending the government's handling of security challenges, he said Tinubu inherited longstanding insecurity and had recorded progress through sustained military operations and the rescue of kidnapped victims.

"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," he said.

He further criticised Obi's record as governor of Anambra State, arguing that the former governor lacked the moral authority to question the administration's security performance.

"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 said.

The Presidency also rejected Obi's claim that Nigeria is in its worst condition, pointing to what it described as improving macroeconomic indicators, including sustained quarterly GDP growth, rising foreign reserves, increased crude oil production and stronger government revenues since Tinubu assumed office in May 2023.

According to Onanuga, the administration inherited a struggling economy and has implemented difficult but necessary reforms that previous governments avoided.

Addressing Obi's criticism of the power sector, Onanuga insisted that Tinubu never promised uninterrupted electricity for all Nigerians.

He accused Obi and his supporters of deliberately misrepresenting remarks made by Tinubu during the 2023 election campaign in Lagos.

According to him, Tinubu had pledged to improve electricity supply and eliminate estimated billing through wider deployment of prepaid meters, adding that the administration has since signed the Electricity Act, expanded metering programmes, invested in off-grid electricity projects and is working to strengthen the national transmission network while attracting additional private sector investment.

While acknowledging the high cost of living, Onanuga attributed prevailing economic hardship partly to global economic disruptions and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

He maintained that Obi's demand for Tinubu's resignation was politically motivated rather than a genuine call for accountability.

"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 said.

He added that President Tinubu remained focused on implementing reforms, stabilising the economy, improving security and laying the foundation for long-term national prosperity.