Presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, has described former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, as a “disgruntled” individual.
The presidency made this remark in response to a statement by the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, who noted that Nigeria’s democracy was collapsing.
Obi had made this assertion while commenting on the suspension of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara by President Bola Tinubu.
In a post on X, Onanuga said:
“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, designed for headlines, lack deep reflection and a solid logical foundation.”
“How can democracy that has strengthened over the past 26 years be said to have collapsed? Only a discontented and disgruntled Peter Obi, who benefits from the very free speech that 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 that opposed democratic principles, he would not have been able to make his comments on Monday at Emeka Ihedioha’s colloquium.”
“I urge him to watch his words and refrain from playing to the gallery.”
Speaking at the 60th birthday celebration of Emeka Ihedioha, a former Imo State governor and former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Peter Obi had said:
“They started in 1999 and laid the foundation. Some people came and added a decking, others tried to raise it to the first floor, but then some people came and knocked everything down.”
“That’s the situation we are in right now—everything has been knocked down, and nothing works. I can speak on this with experience. I became a governor through the courts. When former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Atiku Abubakar were in government, I did not pay the courts a single naira. I was in my office, and the court declared me the winner.”
“That cannot happen in Nigeria today. When I was being impeached, the president sent people to intervene on my behalf. Ken Nnamani came and pleaded with the House not to impeach me. Today, the president impeaches people directly. Back then, they were begging in my house not to impeach me, even though they were in the PDP, and I was in APGA.”
“They pleaded, and President Obasanjo personally called me, asking, ‘Peter, are you okay?’ Even when I was eventually impeached, he called again to check on me, saying, ‘Are you okay? Are you safe?'”
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