•Peter Obi and Tinubu
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has strongly criticised Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate, for his recent remarks suggesting that Nigeria’s democratic system has collapsed.
Onanuga cautioned Obi against making exaggerated statements and urged him to be more responsible with his words, reports Daily Independent.
Obi made his comments during a colloquium in Abuja marking the 60th birthday of former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha. He lamented that the progress achieved since the country’s return to democracy in 1999 has been undone.
“Well, if you look at what Bishop Kukah said, he said it’s work-in-progress. Let me follow what my brother (Tambuwal) said about 1999,” he said.
Comparing Nigeria’s democratic journey to a building under construction, Obi argued that while previous governments had laid the foundation and made progress, the current administration had dismantled those gains.
“If you look at where we are today, it’s like, they (the PDP) started in 1999, laid the foundation. Some people came and took it to decking, and some people were trying to take it to the first floor, when some people came and knocked everything down.”
He also claimed that the independence of the judiciary had significantly declined compared to past administrations.
”That is the situation we are now. Everything has been knocked down and nothing works. I am somebody who can say this, exemplarily. I became a governor through the courts, when President Obasanjo and Atiku were in government.
“I did not pay the court one naira. I was sitting in my office and the court declared me winner, when a governor was not seeing them. This cannot happen in Nigeria, today….”
However, Onanuga dismissed Obi’s assertions, sharing a video of his speech on X.
“I listened multiple times to former Governor Peter Obi’s statement in this clip, where he claims that democracy has collapsed in Nigeria.
“His hyperbolic remarks, suited for headlines, have been made without deep reflection and lack a solid logical foundation.”
He argued that Nigeria’s democracy has continued to grow stronger over the past 26 years and that Obi’s ability to openly express such opinions contradicts his claim that democracy has collapsed.
“How can a democracy that has strengthened over the past 26 years be said to have collapsed? Only a discontented and disgruntled Peter, who benefits from the very free speech democracy provides, could perceive such a democratic downfall through his lens.
“If democracy had indeed collapsed, as Peter claims, and we were living under a regime antithetical to democratic principles, he would not have been able to make his comments on Monday at Emeka Ihedioha’s colloquium.”
He urged the former Anambra governor to be more cautious with his statements and avoid misleading narratives.
“I will urge him to watch what he says and restrain himself from playing to the gallery,” he concluded.
