The Presidency on Monday dismissed calls by the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Party (NDC), Peter Obi, for President Bola Tinubu’s resignation, describing the remarks as “childish and hollow” and an attempt to distract from recent electoral victories recorded by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency said Obi’s comments were not a genuine call for accountability but a political distraction made shortly after the APC’s electoral successes over the weekend.
“Peter Obi’s call for President Tinubu’s resignation is childish and hollow. It is not a call to hold the leader accountable, but a political grandstanding and an unworthy distraction just hours after President Tinubu’s party recorded resounding victories in the weekend polls,” the statement read.
The Presidency also faulted Obi’s comparison between Nigeria’s presidential system and the United Kingdom’s parliamentary democracy, describing his argument as inaccurate and misleading.
It was a response to Obi’s recent remarks in which he urged President Tinubu to emulate UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer by stepping down over insecurity and economic challenges.
According to Onanuga, Obi’s position ignored Nigeria’s constitutional framework.
“His view is simplistic, as is often the case whenever he speaks. Obi forgets that Nigeria does not run a parliamentary system like the UK. We operate a presidential system with a fixed four-year mandate,” he said.
The Presidency further argued that recent election results in parts of the country reflected growing public support for Tinubu and the APC.
“The people of Ekiti State, as well as senatorial constituents in Nasarawa, Enugu, Ondo and Rivers, have just delivered a resounding victory for President Tinubu and his party. These results serve as an early referendum of sorts and show that the President and his party remain popular with Nigerians,” Onanuga added.
He said Obi should focus on preparing for the 2027 presidential election rather than making public demands for resignation.
“Obi should wait for the presidential election to know what Nigerians think of this administration. Attempting to use social media to harangue the President out of office is off the mark and anti-democratic,” he said.
Onanuga also defended the administration’s handling of security, saying the government had made significant progress in the fight against terrorism and banditry, including the rescue of kidnapped victims and the neutralisation of criminal elements.
On the economy, the Presidency maintained that President Tinubu inherited a weakened system but had implemented reforms that had led to improved GDP growth, stronger foreign reserves, increased oil production, higher revenues and renewed investor confidence.
It also cited ongoing initiatives in infrastructure, education and the power sector, including student loan schemes, major road projects and reforms under the Electricity Act.
While acknowledging rising living costs, the statement attributed inflationary pressures partly to global economic disruptions, including geopolitical tensions and supply chain challenges.
The Presidency said President Tinubu remained focused on governance and reform delivery rather than political distractions.
