The presidency has criticised Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), over his call for President Bola Tinubu to resign following Keir Starmer’s announcement that he would step down as British prime minister.
Starmer announced on Monday he would step down amid public dissatisfaction over economic challenges and unmet campaign promises.
Obi said he was inspired to reflect on political accountability after listening to Starmer’s resignation speech.
He argued that Nigerian leaders should also be held accountable for governance failures.
Reacting in a statement, Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy, described Obi’s position as “misplaced” and based on a flawed comparison between the political systems of the United Kingdom (UK) and Nigeria.
“Peter Obi’s latest comments calling for President Bola Tinubu’s resignation, based on a comparison with the British Prime Minister’s voluntary exit, are not only misplaced but also reflect a selective and distorted view of Nigeria’s realities since 2023,” the statement reads.
“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 said recent election victories recorded by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti and some senatorial districts reflected continued public support for Tinubu and his administration.
He noted that Obi should have waited until the 2027 presidential election to test public opinion on Tinubu’s performance rather than calling for his resignation now.
“Obi should wait until the presidential election to know what the people think of Tinubu’s government. Moving to use X to harangue the President out of office is off the mark and anti-democratic,” Onanuga said.
The presidential spokesperson also defended Tinubu’s handling of security challenges, noting that the administration inherited longstanding insecurity issues but had recorded successes through military operations and the rescue of kidnapped victims.
