- Presidency Denies Tinubu’s Involvement in Opposition Party Crisis
- Opposition leaders claimed that venues reserved for their political events were abruptly cancelled
- Onanuga argued that political mergers do not guarantee electoral success
The Presidency has rejected claims that President Bola Tinubu is responsible for the recent challenges encountered by opposition parties, describing the accusations as baseless and driven by political motives.
Eko Hot Blog reports that Bayo Onanuga the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, made this known during an interview on Arise News’ Prime Time on Thursday night.
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Onanuga refuted reports suggesting that the President was disrupting meetings or activities of opposition coalitions, especially the newly formed alliance involving former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s Peter Obi, and others under the African Democratic Congress.
“There is this tendency in Nigeria to scapegoat Tinubu for everything. People face challenges and the first thing they say is, ‘It’s Tinubu.’ But it’s not true. He wasn’t even in the country when some of these events happened,” Onanuga said.
Opposition leaders claimed that venues reserved for their political events were abruptly cancelled, forcing members of the ADC coalition to walk long distances to the Shehu Musa Yaradua Centre in Abuja in order to avoid drawing security attention or facing a possible blockade.
In response, Onanuga dismissed the allegations, insisting that the current administration is not suppressing dissent or silencing opposition voices.
“This government allows freedom of speech. I’ve heard people say this government is against freedom of speech. That’s baloney. This government allows freedom of speech, freedom of opinion, and freedom of the press. If a hotel cancels an event booking, does that mean Tinubu owns the hotel?” he asked.
Speaking on the emerging coalition between Atiku and Obi, Onanuga argued that political mergers do not guarantee electoral success.
“Atiku has been in the presidential race more than anyone – more than Tinubu, more than Obi. Each time, he fails at the gate. Buhari failed several times too, but he eventually succeeded—with Tinubu’s help,” he said.
He further stated that Atiku’s 2023 campaign, which leaned heavily on northern sentiment, was rejected by southern voters. “If he tries that approach again, how will he gain support from the South? Even if Obi is his running mate, it doesn’t mean Obi’s 2023 supporters will back him this time,” he said.
Onanuga also emphasized that President Tinubu continues to enjoy strong support in the North, pointing to key appointments and policies as evidence of his administration’s goodwill toward the region.
“This president is doing a lot for the North. He has appointed people from the North-West and North-East into top positions. In politics, a good turn deserves another. The noise does not match the reality. People are benefiting,” he said.
He concluded that at the appropriate time, the President would draw on the goodwill generated by his administration’s actions across the country.
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