Presidency Labels Peter Obi’s TV Interview ‘PR Disaster,’ Defends Tinubu’s Political Record

The Presidency has criticised former Labour Party presidential candidate and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) standard-bearer for the 2027 election, Peter Obi, describing his recent television interview as a "PR disaster" and accusing him of making false claims about both the 2023 presidential election and President Bola Tinubu's political history.

The criticism came in a lengthy statement posted on Monday on X by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who said Obi's appearance on Sunday Politics on Channels Television failed to revive what he described as the former Anambra State governor's "ebbing" presidential ambition.

"If the political nomad thought the interview would re-energise his ebbing 2027 presidential ambition, it turned out to be a PR disaster, judging from the spate of reactions to the many lies he referenced," Onanuga wrote.

One of the key issues raised by the presidential spokesman was Obi's comparison of his movement across political parties with President Tinubu's political career.

During the interview, Obi argued that his political trajectory was no different from Tinubu's, suggesting both men had changed party platforms over the years.

Onanuga rejected the comparison, insisting that Tinubu had remained ideologically consistent despite operating under different political parties.

According to him, Tinubu's political journey moved from the Social Democratic Party (SDP) to the Alliance for Democracy (AD), Action Congress (AC), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and eventually the All Progressives Congress (APC) while maintaining what he described as a progressive political ideology.

He argued that Obi's own political movements reflected personal political calculations rather than ideological conviction.

The presidential aide noted that Obi was elected governor of Anambra State under the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) before defecting to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), where he emerged as the running mate to Atiku Abubakar in the 2019 presidential election.

Following the PDP's defeat, Obi joined the Labour Party to contest the 2023 presidential election.

Onanuga further alleged that Obi subsequently distanced himself from the Labour Party after internal leadership disputes and later aligned himself with the African Democratic Congress (ADC)-led coalition before moving to another political platform.

"You do not build; you always want to reap where you did not sow," Onanuga said.

The presidential spokesman also criticised Obi over his continued comments on the 2023 presidential election.

According to Onanuga, Channels Television anchor Seun Okinbaloye gave Obi an opportunity during the interview to clarify his position on the election, but he maintained that he believed victory had been denied him.

Onanuga insisted that both the electorate and the courts had already settled the matter.

"You lost, Peter. You didn't win that election. You came third," he wrote.

He added that the Supreme Court had dismissed Obi's petition challenging President Tinubu's election and argued that the former governor's continued insistence that he won reflected an unwillingness to accept the outcome of the polls.

Concluding his statement, Onanuga urged Obi to move beyond the 2023 presidential election and stop, in his words, "dreaming of a victory" he never secured.

The latest exchange comes a day after Obi, during his interview on Channels Television, criticised the Tinubu administration's handling of Nigeria's economy and security, argued that the country was moving in the wrong direction, and said President Tinubu should step aside ahead of the 2027 election because, according to him, the President no longer had the capacity to address the nation's challenges.

The Presidency's response marks the latest war of words between the Tinubu administration and the former Labour Party presidential candidate as political activities ahead of the 2027 general election continue to gather momentum.