The Presidency has firmly rejected Labour Party leader Peter Obi’s call for President Bola Tinubu’s resignation, branding the opposition figure’s remarks a “childish distraction” and a deliberate misreading of national realities.
In a statement issued by presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, the government dismissed Mr Obi’s comparison between Nigeria’s presidential system and the UK’s parliamentary model as both flawed and misleading. “Obi’s call for President Tinubu’s resignation is a childish and unwarranted distraction,” the statement read, adding that his interpretation of developments since 2023 was “selective and distorted.”
The Presidency cited recent electoral victories in Ekiti, Nasarawa, Enugu, Ondo, and Rivers States as evidence of sustained public confidence in the administration.
On security, it claimed significant progress, including the rescue of hundreds of kidnap victims, the neutralisation of terrorist leaders, and the removal of over 15,000 criminals from forests and communities, bolstered by increased investment in drones and surveillance technology. Mr Obi’s own tenure as Anambra governor was criticised as unsuccessful in tackling similar challenges.
Defending its economic record, the Presidency pointed to consistent GDP growth, foreign reserves exceeding $50 billion, oil production of approximately 1.8 million barrels per day, and federation revenues projected above N30 trillion. It also highlighted a buoyant stock market and ongoing infrastructure projects, including the Lagos–Calabar and Sokoto–Badagry superhighways.
The government further noted that interest-free loans for nearly two million tertiary students underscored its commitment to easing financial pressures. On electricity, it insisted that reforms were already underway via the Electricity Act and expanded metering programmes.
Inflation and economic hardship were attributed largely to external shocks, particularly global price increases stemming from Middle Eastern conflicts.
Concluding firmly, the Presidency dismissed Mr Obi’s call as “political grandstanding” rather than genuine accountability, accusing him of operating within “echo chambers” and relying on “imagination rather than fact.”
