Presidential aide Bayo Onanuga has launched a strong rebuttal against media allies of Peter Obi, dismissing allegations that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is behind the internal crisis rocking the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
In a sharply worded statement, Onanuga accused opposition figures of turning Tinubu into a “whipping boy” for political setbacks they created themselves. He insisted that the President has no connection whatsoever to Obi’s political challenges, including his reported struggles within the ADC.
Onanuga criticized Obi’s handling of the Labour Party, alleging that the former Anambra governor abandoned the party after using its platform to contest the 2023 presidential election. He described the move as a “use-and-dump” approach and faulted Obi for failing to resolve internal disputes within the party.
He further argued that Obi has been unable to build a strong political structure of his own, despite the popularity of his “Obidient” movement, which he claimed remains largely active online without tangible grassroots organization.
The presidential spokesman also took aim at the ADC, describing it as a “hijacked” platform allegedly acquired by Atiku Abubakar from party founder Ralph Nwosu. According to him, the ongoing crisis within the party stems from poor internal arrangements and lack of due diligence by its new stakeholders.
Onanuga maintained that Obi and his allies should focus on resolving disputes within their new political platform rather than attributing their challenges to external forces. He referenced internal disagreements involving party figures such as Nafiu Gombe as part of the issues requiring attention.
Dismissing Obi’s chances ahead of the 2027 elections, Onanuga stated that the former presidential candidate remains politically irrelevant without securing a party ticket. He added that finishing third in the 2023 election does not guarantee a similar performance in 2027.
He concluded by defending Tinubu’s record in office, asserting that the President has “many achievements to flaunt,” while accusing Obi’s camp of unfairly attempting to undermine his democratic credentials.
