The Presidency has strongly rejected the call by the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, for the resignation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing the demand as a reflection of political desperation and an inability to accept defeat.
​Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, issued a stern response on behalf of the administration, labeling Obi’s remarks as “uninformed, mischievous, and completely detached from Nigeria’s current economic realities.”
​The war of words erupted after Peter Obi publicly criticized the current administration’s handling of the country’s economic reforms, ultimately suggesting that the President step down if he cannot handle the responsibilities of governance.
​Responding to the statement, Onanuga declared that President Tinubu remains fully committed to executing the mandate given to him by the Nigerian electorate and has no intention of caving to partisan pressure.
​”Peter Obi is still suffering from the hangover of his electoral defeat in 2023,” Onanuga stated. “His call for the President’s resignation is nothing more than a cheap publicity stunt aimed at distracting Nigerians from the ongoing reforms that are steadily steering the country toward recovery.”
​Onanuga emphasized that while the administration acknowledges the temporary hardships faced by citizens due to necessary policy adjustments such as the fuel subsidy removal and floating of the Naira, these measures are vital surgeries needed to save the national economy.
The presidency noted that the economic foundations were severely damaged by years of unsustainable subsidies and bad fiscal policies, which Tinubu’s administration is now correcting.
Onanuga reassured Nigerians that the government’s policies are designed to ensure long-term stability and robust economic growth, rather than offering short-sighted, temporary fixes.
The presidency urged the opposition to focus on constructive criticism that benefits the nation, rather than making inflammatory statements capable of heating up the polity.
​The latest exchange highlights the simmering tension between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the leadership of the Labour Party following the highly contested 2023 general elections.
The presidency concluded by reassuring the public that the Tinubu-led administration remains focused on its “Renewed Hope” agenda and will not be derailed by what it characterized as the opposition’s “daily dose of pessimism.”
