Tinubu Has 4 Years, Wait Till 2027 To Reelect Him Or Elect Peter Obi – Presidency Tells Protesters

The presidency has asserted that Peter Obi, the former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, should be held accountable for the planned protests by citizens.

Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, claimed that those calling for protests against economic hardship and hunger are supporters of Peter Obi.

Onanuga argued that the protests are motivated by Obi’s loss in the last general election, not by economic issues. He urged security agencies to target those calling for protests in August.

“Peter Obi’s supporters are planning mayhem in Nigeria: Obi should be held responsible for any resulting anarchy. Don’t be fooled: those planning nationwide protests are supporters of Peter Obi, the failed presidential candidate of the Labour Party. He should be held accountable for any crisis arising from this action,” Onanuga said.

He also linked the alleged protest planners to the instigators of the ENDSARS protest, asserting that they were influenced by IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu to launch the destructive protest in October 2020. He claimed that the protest, initially against police brutality, was hijacked by IPOB for their agenda, leading to significant damage, particularly in Lagos.

Onanuga continued, “The same individuals who supported Peter Obi, a sympathizer of the IPOB cause, are now promoting hashtags like ‘EndBadGovernance,’ ‘Tinubu Must Go,’ and ‘Revolution2024.’ These are not democrats but anarchists attempting to destabilize Nigeria because their candidate lost the 2023 election. They are unwilling to wait for another election in 2027 and instead seek to stage a civilian coup against President Tinubu.”

He stated that such hashtags constitute treasonable offenses. “If they understand the meaning of their hashtags, they will realize they are calling for treason. Attempting to overthrow an elected government is high treason. A call for revolution is a call for a coup d’état, which is also high treason,” he said.

Onanuga’s statement on his X account urged security agents to begin interrogating these “agents of destabilization.” He highlighted that economic challenges are global and urged citizens to consider the government’s efforts to address the cost of living crisis before joining the protests.

“The Tinubu government has increased the minimum wage by more than 100 percent, provided student loans, launched a credit corporation to promote consumption credit, and rolled out palliatives, including distributing 740 trucks of rice to the states and Abuja. Businesses, especially in pharmaceuticals, are being assisted, and there is significant investment in agriculture,” he noted.

He emphasized that the economy is improving, inflation is slowing, national debt has been reduced in dollar terms, and revenue generation has reached record levels. “President Tinubu has a four-year mandate to implement his agenda. Those calling for protest should wait until 2027 to either re-elect him or elect their preferred candidate, Mr. Peter Obi,” Onanuga concluded.