From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Presidency has sharply criticised Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, casting doubt on his pledge to serve only one term if elected and questioning his overall trustworthiness.
Special Adviser to President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, took to his verified X handle @aonanuga1956 to condemn Obi’s latest commitment, labeling him a “serial promise breaker” with a “history of reckless, needless lies.”
Onanuga ridiculed Obi’s attempt to align himself with iconic leaders such as Nelson Mandela, Abraham Lincoln, and John F. Kennedy, arguing that Obi has not earned such comparisons.
“You are neither a Mandela nor a Lincoln or a Kennedy. You sound as if you have never held an elected office before,” Onanuga wrote.
He referenced Obi’s tenure as governor of Anambra State, noting that Obi ran for and won a second term in 2010 despite now portraying himself as a one-term leader.
“You sought re-election as Anambra Governor in 2010 and narrowly won courtesy of a divided opposition. Why didn’t you walk away after only one term in office?” Onanuga questioned. He also added that after eight years, Anambra “did not look like a state that had been transformed.”
The presidential spokesman further argued that Obi’s failure to transform Anambra in eight years suggests he is unlikely to achieve much within four years as President of Nigeria, which he described as “complex and complicated.”
Onanuga also brought up Obi’s previous defection from the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), despite publicly promising not to abandon the party.
“The reason for your exit is immaterial because if we’re to make allowance for excuses, you’ll definitely have an excuse to break your one-term vow,” he stated.
In conclusion, Onanuga questioned the wisdom of trusting a politician who “can’t keep a simple promise not to leave a political party,” urging Nigerians to treat Obi’s “so-called vow” with skepticism.
