By Mardiyyah Abubakar
The Presidency and Senator Adams Oshiomhole have criticised Peter Obi over comments he made about President Bola Tinubu during a television interview.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said Obi wrongly compared his political journey with Tinubu’s, insisting the President has remained loyal to the progressive political movement throughout his career.
Onanuga said Tinubu began his political career in the Social Democratic Party (SDP), later joined the Alliance for Democracy (AD), helped form the Action Congress (AC), the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), and eventually led the merger that created the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He argued that Tinubu built and strengthened political platforms instead of abandoning them.
In contrast, Onanuga accused Obi of moving between several political parties, including APGA, PDP, Labour Party, ADC and the NDC, claiming he consistently leaves parties instead of rebuilding them.
He also criticised Obi for maintaining that he won the 2023 presidential election despite the Supreme Court upholding Tinubu’s victory.
Onanuga urged the former Anambra governor to accept the election outcome and move on.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Engagement, Frederick Nwabufo, also faulted Obi’s interview, saying he failed to present a clear policy agenda or practical plans for governance.
According to Nwabufo, Obi spoke about uniting Nigeria without explaining how he would achieve it. He argued that national unity depends on inclusive governance, economic growth and fairness to all citizens.
He added that the Tinubu administration has promoted national cohesion through appointments and projects across the country’s six geopolitical zones.
Meanwhile, Senator Adams Oshiomhole defended Tinubu’s economic reforms, saying the President inherited a struggling economy and had to introduce difficult but necessary policies.
Oshiomhole accused Obi of viewing the economy from a trader’s perspective rather than focusing on industrial development and job creation.
He also argued that Obi benefited politically from the hardship caused by the 2023 naira redesign policy and questioned the former governor’s record in Anambra State, saying it did not support his claim that he could transform Nigeria within four years.
