Dare Babalola
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu, has criticised Peter Obi’s decision to dump the Labour Party for the African Democratic Congress (ADC), describing it as a move driven by bitterness and lacking leadership pedigree.
“I watched as Peter Obi, the former Labour Party presidential candidate, formally joined the ADC after abandoning the party he had used to pursue his ill-fated presidential ambition. About three years after the 2023 election, Obi, the wandering politician — who moved from APGA to PDP to Labour and now ADC — still sounded bitter about coming third,” Onanuga said in a post on Wednesday.
Onanuga questioned Obi’s leadership credentials, citing his tenure as Anambra State Governor, and dismissed his references to international examples as evidence of his ability to lead Nigeria.
“What concerned me most were his references to books, professors, and other nations to buttress his belief that he has learnt from the masters and that Nigeria should be entrusted to him because he claims to know the secrets of national development. This posturing should be taken with a pinch of salt, coming from a politician who was an abysmal failure in a small state like Anambra, which he governed for 8 years,” he said.
Onanuga praised President Tinubu’s efforts to restructure the economy, eliminate petrol subsidies, and attract investment, saying these efforts have yielded positive results, including rising foreign reserves and a stabilising exchange rate.
He contrasted this with Obi’s approach, stating that nations require original thinkers, not copycats, and that Nigeria needs homegrown solutions.
“Nations are not identical, and what worked in Indonesia or the USA may not necessarily work in Nigeria. No leader can move a country forward by simply copying and pasting models from elsewhere. Nations require original thinkers, not copycats. Homegrown solutions are essential for proper development, Onanuga said.
The statement concluded that Obi’s move to ADC was driven by a desire to remain relevant, rather than a genuine commitment to the party or its principles.
“Obi is so blind that he cannot see all these achievements, as he jumped from Labour to ADC, where he will play second fiddle and end up being Atiku’s running mate in 2027, like we witnessed in 2019,” Onanuga added.
