Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has dismissed Peter Obi’s assertion that democracy in Nigeria has collapsed. Onanuga described Obi’s remarks as exaggerated and lacking a logical basis.
In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), Onanuga lashed back at Obi’s comments made during a colloquium marking the 60th birthday of Emeka Ihedioha, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. He argued that contrary to Obi’s remarks, Nigeria’s democracy has remained resilient and has grown stronger since 1999.
“I listened multiple times to former Governor Peter Obi’s statement in this clip, where he claims that democracy has collapsed in Nigeria. His hyperbolic remarks, suited for headlines, have been made without deep reflection and lack a solid logical foundation,” Onanuga wrote.
He questioned how a democracy that has endured for 26 years could be considered collapsed. Onanuga added, “Only a discontented and disgruntled Peter, who benefits from the very free speech democracy provides, could perceive such a democratic downfall through his lens.”
Obi’s Worries About Nigeria’s Democracy
At the event, Obi expressed unease about the state of democracy under the current leadership. He argued that the system had suffered setbacks, saying, “They started in 1999, they laid the foundation, some people came and took it a decking, and some people were trying to raise it to the first floor, and some people came and knocked everything down. That’s the situation we are in right now. Everything has been knocked down, nothing works.”
Obi shared his personal experiences, recalling how he became governor through the courts without paying bribes. “When (former) President (Olusegun) Obasanjo and Atiku (Abubakar) were in government, I did not pay the courts one Naira (Nigeria’s currency); I was sitting in my house, in an office, and the court declared me winner,” he said.
He compared past democratic interventions with the current situation, lamenting the erosion of institutional independence. “Today, the president impeaches the person. And they were begging in my house not to impeach me, and they were in PDP, I was in APGA,” Obi said.
Obi called for urgent action to rebuild the system, stating, “Let’s not talk about it. Let’s talk about how we are going to rebuild it. It’s collapsing.”
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