Presidency: Obi’s Call for Tinubu’s Resignation Childish

The Presidency has dismissed calls by the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to resign, describing it as an unwarranted distraction. Obi, in a post on X on Monday, urged President Tinubu to emulate United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer and step down, claiming he had […]

The Presidency has dismissed calls by the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to resign, describing it as an unwarranted distraction.

Obi, in a post on X on Monday, urged President Tinubu to emulate United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer and step down, claiming he had failed to fulfil most of his campaign promises.

Responding to the remarks, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said Obi’s call was misplaced and failed to recognise the differences between Nigeria’s presidential system of government and the parliamentary system practised in the UK.

He said Tinubu was elected for a fixed four year term and remains accountable to Nigerians through the democratic process.

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“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,” Onanuga said.

The Presidency also pointed to recent victories recorded by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in elections held in Ekiti State and senatorial districts in Nasarawa, Enugu, Ondo and Rivers states, describing the results as evidence of the party’s continued popularity.

It argued that the outcomes should concern Obi and his new political platform ahead of the 2027 general election.

The statement advised Obi to await the next presidential election if he wished to test public opinion on the Tinubu administration.

“Moving to use X to harangue the President out of office is off the mark and anti-democratic,” it added.

On security, the Presidency maintained that Tinubu inherited longstanding challenges but has made measurable progress through intensified military operations, the deployment of technology and increased investment in security.

It said thousands of terrorists had been neutralised, while many kidnapped victims had been rescued through security operations across the country.

The Presidency described Obi’s criticism of the administration’s security record as ironic, claiming he failed to adequately secure Anambra State during his tenure as governor.

“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,” the statement said.

On the economy, the Presidency acknowledged the high cost of living but argued that economic pressures were being driven partly by global developments, including tensions in the Middle East and disruptions to international supply chains.

It further described Obi’s demand for Tinubu’s resignation as “childish and hollow”, insisting that the President remains focused on reforms, economic stability and improving security.

“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.”

The statement added that Tinubu’s administration was laying the foundation for long term national development and urged Nigerians to judge the government based on its policies and results rather than political rhetoric.

Onanuga accused Obi of operating in a “self constructed echo chambers” and promoting what he described as a distorted picture of the situation in Nigeria.