Tinubu should protect, make opposition stronger – Peter Obi

Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in 2023, has criticised the state of Nigeria’s democracy, accusing the President Bola Tinubu-led administration of undermining opposition parties and failing to uphold democratic principles.

Speaking during his appearance on Arise News on Monday, Obi said it was the responsibility of any government in office to protect and strengthen opposition parties rather than weaken them.

“The government in office should protect opposition. In fact, they should make opposition stronger, make it work,” he said.

The former governor of Anambra made these remarks amid a lingering factional crisis in the opposition coalition party, African Democratic Congress (ADC), which has led to the derecognition of the party’s leadership by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The alliance has repeatedly accused the commission of conniving with the ruling party to cripple opposition ahead of 2027.

Obi recalled past political experiences, noting that former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua had emphasised the need for stability across political parties to ensure credible elections.

“I recall him calling the then INEC chairman and said I don’t want any problem in any of the parties. I want the parties to be stable, function very well. We have a free, credible, transparent election,” Obi stated.

The former Anambra State governor lamented what he described as a decline in democratic values and accused current leaders of hypocrisy.

“Look at what has happened to our democracy. It’s being destroyed. And it’s being destroyed by those who yesterday were a victim of the same, similar thing,” he said.

Obi also addressed criticism over his movement across political parties, defending his decisions as principled rather than opportunistic.

He explained that his exit from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was due to what he described as a lack of internal democracy.
“In PDP, I said it before, people were not playing by the rules. It was transactional. I cannot be part of the transactional problem,” he said.

Obi added that similar concerns influenced his decisions in other parties, insisting he would continue to speak out or leave if faced with compromised processes.

“If that process is again compromised, I will speak out. What is important is not what people are yesterday. It’s what they are today,” he said.

Responding to concerns about political inconsistency, Obi maintained that his commitment to reform guided his actions.

He further stressed that he had not engaged in electoral malpractice or undue influence on judicial processes.

“I’ve never been involved in any form of rigging of election at primary level, at the election itself and after that,” Obi said. “I’ve never been part of paying people in the judiciary anywhere to give me judgement that I do not deserve.”