President Bola Tinubu has dismissed calls by Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, for him to resign, describing the demand as “childish,” “misplaced,” and a distraction from the administration’s reform agenda.
In a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu said Obi’s comments reflected a “distorted understanding” of Nigeria’s political system and current realities.
Onanuga faulted Obi’s comparison of President Tinubu with a British Prime Minister who resigned, stressing that Nigeria operates a presidential system with a fixed tenure.
“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,” the statement read.
He added that President Tinubu was elected for a constitutionally guaranteed four-year term and would be assessed by Nigerians through elections, not public pressure.
“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,” Onanuga stated.
Tinubu also argued that recent electoral outcomes reflected continued public confidence in the administration.
“The election results… show that President Tinubu and his party are popular with Nigerians,” the statement added.
He warned against what he described as attempts to undermine constitutional processes.
“Moving to use X to harangue the President out of office is off the mark and anti-democratic,” Onanuga said.
On security, Tinubu said the administration had recorded significant progress despite ongoing challenges, including the rescue of abducted persons and the neutralisation of terrorists.
He stated that over 15,000 terrorists had been taken off the streets and forests, while security operations had been strengthened through increased funding, technology deployment, and improved military coordination.
On the economy, Tinubu dismissed claims that Nigeria was in its worst condition, insisting that key indicators had improved since 2023.
“President Tinubu introduced bold, courageous policies that his predecessors had shied away from,” Onanuga said, citing improvements in revenue generation, foreign reserves, oil production, and investor confidence.
On infrastructure, he highlighted reforms in the power sector, including the signing of the Electricity Act.
On rising living costs, Tinubu acknowledged challenges but attributed them partly to global economic pressures.
“No one denies that Nigeria has challenges… but any honest politician will agree this is a global problem,” Onanuga noted.
The statement concluded that Obi’s remarks amounted to political grandstanding, insisting that Tinubu remains focused on delivering reforms.