The Presidency and the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2027 election, Peter Obi, exchanged sharp words on Tuesday over his call for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to resign following the resignation announcement of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Obi argued that President Tinubu should consider stepping down, claiming the administration had failed to fulfil key campaign promises, particularly in the areas of electricity supply, security and economic welfare. He cited Starmer’s decision to resign amid public dissatisfaction in the United Kingdom as an example of political accountability.
In a post titled “Owning Up to Leadership Failures and Political Responsibility,” Obi recalled that Tinubu had previously demanded the resignation of former President Goodluck Jonathan over insecurity and economic hardship, including during the Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction crisis.
According to Obi, the challenges Tinubu promised to address during the 2023 election campaign have worsened, with Nigerians continuing to grapple with unreliable electricity, rising insecurity and severe economic difficulties.
The Presidency swiftly rejected the call, describing it as political grandstanding and an attempt to distract from recent electoral victories recorded by the ruling party. Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said Obi’s argument ignored the fact that Nigeria operates a presidential system of government, unlike the parliamentary system in the United Kingdom.
The Presidency maintained that Tinubu was elected for a fixed four-year term and that any assessment of his performance should be left to voters during the next presidential election.
Defending the administration’s record, Onanuga said the government inherited deep-rooted security and economic challenges but had made measurable progress. He pointed to military operations against terrorist groups, the rescue of kidnapping victims, deployment of advanced security technology and ongoing economic reforms.
The Presidency also cited recent election results in parts of the country as evidence of continued public support for Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), arguing that the outcomes reflected confidence in the administration.
The exchange highlights growing political tensions ahead of the 2027 general election, with opposition figures increasingly scrutinising the government’s handling of economic and security challenges, while the Presidency insists its reforms are yielding positive results and should be judged at the polls.
