Tinubu not cause of Obi, ADC woes — Presidency

The Presidency has dismissed claims linking President Bola Tinubu to the internal crises surrounding former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and the African Democratic Congress, describing such allegations as unfounded.

In a statement issued on Monday via his X handle, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the President had no involvement in Obi’s political decisions or the challenges facing the ADC.

“I wonder why all these incompetent politicians are turning President Bola Tinubu into their favourite whipping boy.

“The President has nothing to do with Obi’s abandonment of the Labour Party or the jam he appears to have run into in the ADC,” he said.

Onanuga accused Obi of failing to demonstrate leadership in managing the crisis within the Labour Party before leaving the platform.

“After using the Labour Party to vie for the highest office in the country, Obi dumped it in a classic case of use-and-dump. He failed to demonstrate leadership in resolving the party’s crisis,” he stated.

He added that Obi relied heavily on the “Obidient movement,” which he described as largely active online, without transforming it into a viable political structure.

“Instead, he went to the embrace of his IPOB base, the so-called Obidient movement, which is more active online. You would think the man would transform the movement into a political party. But no, he didn’t do any such thing. He is just incapable of building an organic party of his own,” Onanuga said.

The presidential aide further claimed that Obi joined the ADC in search of an existing political structure, describing the party as one facing internal challenges.

“Because he knows he needs a political structure to realise his doomed dream of winning the presidency, he shopped for a cooked soup to partake in the ensuing party. The peripatetic politician moved to the hijacked ADC, an SPV bought by Atiku Abubakar from Ralph Nwosu. No due diligence appeared to have been conducted by the new owners, and thus, the nightmare they are confronting today,” he added.

Onanuga insisted that the crisis within the ADC was self-inflicted and unrelated to the President.

“What is the connection of Tinubu with the ADC crisis? Absolutely none. Whatever problem they have is self-inflicted. Obi and his co-travellers need to get their acts together, clear the mess in their new party and then compete for the presidential ticket,” he said.

He also urged Obi and other stakeholders to resolve internal disputes within the party.

“Let them go and settle with Nafiu Gombe and other disenchanted ADC members. As of now, Obi, without being made a candidate, is inconsequential for 2027,” Onanuga stated.

He added that Obi’s performance in the 2023 presidential election does not guarantee a similar outcome in the future.

“The fact that he came third in 2023 does not mean he will have the same showing in 2027, if he ever becomes a candidate of any party. 2023 is not like 2027. President Tinubu is an incumbent with many achievements to flaunt, most of which Obi has been blind to acknowledge,” he said.

Onanuga described criticisms of the President as unfair and baseless.

“First things first. Let the man become a candidate first. All this blackmail against the President is sheer baloney, a very unfair attempt to besmirch his democratic credentials,” he added.

The ADC has been embroiled in a leadership crisis following efforts by opposition figures, including Atiku, Obi, Rauf Aregbesola, and others, to use the party as a platform for a potential 2027 coalition.

On April 1, the Independent National Electoral Commission announced it had delisted African Democratic Congress leadership, including Mark and Rauf Aregbesola, from its records.

The commission, through its National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information Committee, Mohammed Haruna, explained that the move was in compliance with a court order directing it to preserve the status quo pending the final judgment of the trial court.

The trial follows a dispute between factions led by Mark and Gombe, who both laid claim to the party structure.

However, ADC said INEC misinterpreted the court ruling and accused the ruling APC under the Tinubu of working to undermine the opposition ahead of the 2027 election.