ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has dismissed Peter Obi’s assertion that President Bola Tinubu is exhausted and should step aside ahead of the 2027 general election, insisting the president remains fully committed to governance and national development.
Yilwatda, who spoke on Tuesday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, said there was no basis for describing Tinubu as “tired,” arguing that the president continues to work long hours while driving key development projects across the country.
Responding directly to the former Anambra State governor’s remarks, the APC chairman questioned what standard Obi used to judge the president’s fitness for office.
“Let me put it this way, especially to Obi, who claimed that Tinubu is tired, is he going for boxing or 400 metres? Are you telling me that the President who stays and works from morning till night is tired? These are the issues we are talking about,” Yilwatda said.
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He maintained that Nigerians benefiting from the administration’s programmes would not support calls for Tinubu to retire from office.
Yilwatda pointed to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), saying students and families benefiting from the initiative were evidence that the administration remained focused on improving citizens’ welfare.
“Are you telling me that over a million students and mothers who depend heavily on and celebrate NELFUND would be praying that the President be retired?” he asked.
The APC chairman also cited ongoing infrastructure projects as proof that the Tinubu administration remains active and committed to delivering on its promises.
He listed the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, as well as new seaport projects in Calabar, Akwa Ibom, Port Harcourt, Ondo and Lagos, as major investments demonstrating the government’s development agenda.
Yilwatda further referenced ongoing upgrades in the aviation sector, saying airport modernisation projects supervised by the Minister of Aviation reflected an administration investing in critical infrastructure nationwide.
“I am sure you watched the renewal of airports being upgraded by the Minister of Aviation. This and many others, even in the North,” he said.
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According to him, the administration’s investments in education, transport, maritime infrastructure and aviation contradict claims that President Tinubu lacks the energy or capacity to continue leading the country.
His comments followed recent remarks by Peter Obi during an interview on Channels Television, where the Labour Party presidential candidate said President Tinubu was “tired,” lacked the capacity to continue governing Nigeria and should retire ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Yilwatda, however, maintained that the president remains focused on governance and delivering projects that, in his view, will continue to earn public support as the country approaches the next general election.