Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Tinubu, has criticised the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi following his recent appearance on Channels Television’s “Politics Today.”
Onanuga described the television interview hosted by Seun Okinbaloye as a complete public relations failure, accusing Obi of spreading falsehoods and remaining in denial over his defeat in the 2023 presidential election.
Reacting to the broadcast, Onanuga countered Obi’s attempt to equate his political career moves with those of Tinubu.
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During the interview, Obi had brushed aside questions about his frequent party switches by arguing that his political trajectory was no different from Tinubu’s.
Rejecting the comparison, Onanuga maintained that Tinubu has consistently adhered to a progressive political ideology since entering politics in the early 1990s.
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He noted that Tinubu began with the Social Democratic Party (SDP), fought military dictatorship alongside the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), went into exile, and later co-founded the Alliance for Democracy (AD), Action Congress (AC), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), and eventually the All Progressives Congress (APC).
According to Onanuga, Tinubu never defected to opposing platforms like the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) even during political crises, but instead built new parties from the ground up.
In contrast, Onanuga characterised Obi as a “political nomad” who relies on harvesting political structures built by others rather than constructing his own.
He detailed Obi’s political journey, recalling how he was elected Governor of Anambra State under the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) after pledging never to leave the party, only to defect to the PDP after his second term.
He further highlighted Obi’s subsequent moves: running as Atiku Abubakar’s vice-presidential candidate on the PDP ticket in 2019, joining the Labour Party for his 2023 presidential bid, briefly teaming up with Atiku in the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and most recently moving to the court-registered NDC promoted by Seriake Dickson.
Onanuga predicted that Obi would readily abandon the NDC if it fails to serve his personal ambitions ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Addressing the outcome of the 2023 presidential race, Onanuga criticised Obi for maintaining that the election was rigged against him.
READ ALSO: Onanuga mocks ADC coalition following APC by-election wins
He argued that despite relying largely on ethnic bloc votes and social media followers, Obi finished third behind Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar.
Onanuga urged Obi to accept the final ruling of the Supreme Court, face reality, and abandon claims of a victory he never achieved.
