Presidency rejects Obi’s call for Tinubu’s resignation, calls it ‘childish’

The Presidency has rebuffed former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi’s call for President Bola Tinubu to resign, describing the demand as “childish” and “an unwarranted distraction.”

In a statement on Monday, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, accused Obi of drawing a flawed comparison between Nigeria’s presidential system and the United Kingdom’s parliamentary model while urging President Tinubu to step down.

“Peter Obi’s latest comments calling for President Bola Tinubu’s resignation… are not only misplaced but also reflect a selective and distorted view of Nigeria’s realities since 2023,” Onanuga said.

The presidential spokesman argued that Nigeria’s constitutional framework differs significantly from Britain’s, noting that the president is elected to a fixed four-year term.

He also pointed to recent electoral victories by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in parts of the country as evidence of continued public support for President Tinubu and his administration.

“Obi should wait until the presidential election to know what the people think of Tinubu’s government,” Onanuga said, adding that attempts to pressure the president to leave office through social media were “off the mark and anti-democratic.”

Defending the administration’s performance, Onanuga said President Tinubu inherited deep-rooted security and economic challenges but has since recorded notable progress in both areas.

According to him, security agencies have intensified operations against criminal and terrorist groups, resulting in the rescue of kidnapped victims and the neutralisation of several terrorist leaders.

On the economy, he cited sustained GDP growth, rising foreign reserves, increased oil production, improved government revenues and gains in the stock market as indicators that the country’s economic reforms are yielding results.

Onanuga also highlighted ongoing infrastructure projects, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, as well as the government’s student loan programme and compressed natural gas (CNG) initiative.

Responding to criticism over electricity supply, the presidential aide maintained that President Tinubu never promised immediate 24-hour power nationwide, arguing that the administration has instead pursued reforms aimed at decentralising electricity generation and expanding access to prepaid meters.