ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The Presidency on Monday rejected calls by the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, for President Bola Tinubu to resign, describing the demand as “childish and hollow” and a political distraction following recent electoral victories recorded by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency argued that Obi’s remarks were not aimed at holding the government accountable but were instead politically motivated.
“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 read in part.
The Presidency accused Obi of drawing an inappropriate comparison between Nigeria’s presidential system of government and the parliamentary democracy practised in the United Kingdom, while also presenting what it described as a distorted view of current realities in the country.
The statement came in response to Obi’s recent call on Tinubu to emulate British Prime Minister Keir Starmer by stepping down over insecurity and economic hardship facing Nigerians.
According to Onanuga, Obi failed to recognise the constitutional framework under which Nigeria operates.
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“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 four-year term,” he said.
The presidential aide further argued that recent election results in parts of the country reflected public confidence in Tinubu and the APC.
“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 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 added.
Defending the administration’s security record, the Presidency maintained that notable progress had been made in the fight against terrorism, banditry and other forms of criminality across the country.
Onanuga said security forces had rescued hundreds of kidnapped victims and neutralised thousands of terrorists while reclaiming territories previously occupied by criminal groups through intensified military operations.
The Presidency also challenged Obi’s assertion that Nigeria was currently experiencing its worst period, citing several economic indicators as evidence of progress under Tinubu’s administration.
According to the statement, Tinubu inherited a struggling economy but has since implemented reforms that have led to sustained Gross Domestic Product growth, increased foreign reserves, higher crude oil production, improved government revenue and growing investor confidence.
The statement also highlighted achievements in infrastructure, education and the power sector, including the student loan programme, ongoing highway projects and reforms introduced through the Electricity Act.
Onanuga further accused Obi of misrepresenting Tinubu’s campaign promises on electricity while ignoring efforts aimed at improving power generation, transmission and distribution.
While acknowledging the impact of the rising cost of living on Nigerians, the Presidency argued that inflationary pressures were partly driven by global developments, including tensions in the Middle East and disruptions to international supply chains.
The presidential aide insisted that Tinubu remained focused on implementing reforms and addressing national challenges rather than engaging in political rhetoric.
“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,” he stated.
Onanuga also criticised the former Anambra State governor, accusing him of operating within what he described as a self-created political echo chamber.
“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,” the statement added.