The media office of the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has accused the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of deliberately avoiding critical questions about governance, accountability, and the worsening socio-economic conditions confronting Nigerians by diverting public attention to what it described as the “charade election” conducted over the weekend.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Peter Obi Media Office said recent reactions from the Presidency to Obi’s call for President Tinubu’s resignation failed to engage with the substantive issues he raised regarding poverty, insecurity, unemployment, and economic hardship. Instead, it alleged that government officials resorted to political attacks and distractions aimed at shifting the focus away from the administration’s performance.
According to the statement, Obi’s remarks were inspired by developments in the United Kingdom, where the Prime Minister reportedly chose to resign after acknowledging public dissatisfaction with the government’s inability to improve living conditions and fulfill key promises. The media office argued that Obi’s comments were intended to highlight the importance of leadership accountability rather than provoke partisan controversy.
“The innocuous call by the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to resign from office, having failed to improve the living conditions of Nigerians in recent years, has generated a lengthy reaction from his media aides but has failed to address the issue,” the statement said.
The media office maintained that Obi’s intervention was rooted in a broader conversation about governance standards and leadership responsibility. It stressed that the central issue was not the structure of Nigeria’s political system but the willingness of leaders to accept responsibility when government policies fail to produce positive outcomes for citizens.
“Our principal’s call was for President Bola Tinubu to learn a lesson from the action of the British Prime Minister, who chose to resign after acknowledging that his government had failed to sufficiently improve the living conditions of its citizens,” the statement added.
According to Obi’s media team, the Presidency chose to focus on issues unrelated to the concerns raised, including the outcome of the recent election and debates over the distinctions between presidential and parliamentary systems of government.
“Rather than address the issue of leadership and accountability, the presidency embarked on shadow chasing, talking about the weekend’s charade election and the types of government, whether presidential or parliamentary,” the statement said.
The media office insisted that Obi’s comments had nothing to do with constitutional arrangements or institutional structures. Instead, they were intended to promote a culture in which leaders take responsibility for the consequences of their decisions and policies.
“We would like to state clearly that our principal’s comments were not about whether Nigeria operates a presidential or parliamentary system. They were about a fundamental principle of leadership: accepting responsibility for outcomes,” it stated.
To reinforce its argument, the statement rejected suggestions that resignation is incompatible with presidential democracies. It cited several examples of leaders who resigned from office under public or political pressure despite serving within presidential systems of government.
Among those mentioned were former United States President Richard Nixon, who resigned during the Watergate scandal; former Brazilian President Fernando Collor de Mello; former Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski; and former Argentine President Fernando de la Rúa. According to the media office, these examples demonstrate that accountability remains relevant regardless of the type of political system in operation.
The statement further recalled that President Tinubu himself had, as an opposition figure, repeatedly demanded the resignation of former President Goodluck Jonathan during periods of national crisis. It specifically referenced the fuel subsidy protests and the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls, noting that Nigeria operated the same presidential system at the time.
“Leadership standards should not change depending on who occupies the office,” the statement said.
The media office also launched a broad critique of the administration’s economic record, alleging that poverty levels have increased significantly since President Tinubu assumed office. It claimed that the number of Nigerians living below the poverty line had risen dramatically, arguing that government policies have failed to provide meaningful relief to citizens.
According to the statement, the administration has accumulated an unprecedented level of debt without corresponding improvements in the quality of life of ordinary Nigerians.
“The debt burden accumulated under this administration is unprecedented, yet it has not been matched by a corresponding improvement in the lives of ordinary citizens,” it stated.
The media office argued that economic realities across the country paint a troubling picture. It claimed that businesses are struggling to survive amid rising operating costs, while manufacturers face increasing challenges due to inflation, currency instability, and declining consumer purchasing power.
It further alleged that many enterprises have either scaled back operations or shut down entirely, resulting in job losses and reduced economic activity.
“No amount of political rhetoric and grandstanding can conceal the fact that millions of Nigerians are enduring unprecedented economic hardship,” the statement said.
On the issue of security, Obi’s media office acknowledged that security agencies have recorded some successes in certain areas. However, it maintained that insecurity remains widespread and continues to affect communities across the country.
According to the statement, kidnapping, banditry, violent crime, and attacks on communities have evolved into nationwide concerns that require more effective and coordinated responses.
“Kidnapping, banditry, violent crime, and attacks on communities have become national concerns rather than regional challenges,” it stated.
The media office also criticized what it described as the Presidency’s reliance on macroeconomic indicators to defend its performance. While government officials frequently cite improvements in revenue generation, GDP growth, and stock market performance, the statement argued that such figures have little meaning if they do not translate into tangible improvements in the lives of ordinary citizens.
According to Obi’s team, economic success should be measured not only by financial statistics but by the overall well-being of the population.
“Economic growth that does not translate into improved living standards is merely statistical growth. The true measure of economic success is not the performance of the stock market but the well-being of the average citizen,” the statement noted.
The media office also dismissed attempts by the Presidency to portray the outcome of Saturday’s election as evidence of widespread public approval for the administration’s performance.
It argued that many Nigerians viewed the electoral exercise as deeply flawed and therefore rejected efforts to use the results as proof of popular support.
“The presidency cites the outcome of the weekend elections as evidence of public endorsement of its performance. Nothing could be further from the truth,” the statement declared.
“It is disheartening that what many Nigerians viewed as a deeply flawed electoral exercise is now being presented as proof of good governance.”
The statement warned that if the conduct and outcome of the election become the model for future electoral processes in Nigeria, the country’s democratic development could face serious challenges.
In addition, Obi’s media office questioned government spending priorities, drawing attention to budgetary allocations that it claimed reveal a troubling imbalance. It noted that while approximately ₦298 billion was allocated to primary healthcare, about ₦873 billion was budgeted for elections.
According to the statement, such spending patterns raise important questions about national priorities and require urgent public scrutiny.
“Such a situation demands urgent national reflection,” it said.
Reaffirming Peter Obi’s position, the media office insisted that his call for President Tinubu’s resignation was neither personal nor motivated by partisan considerations. Rather, it said the intervention was intended to encourage a culture of responsibility, accountability, and responsive leadership in Nigeria.
“Obi did not call for resignation out of malice or political calculation. He sought to draw attention to a leadership culture that must evolve if Nigeria is to make meaningful progress,” the statement said.
The media office concluded by urging the Federal Government to focus its attention on addressing the pressing challenges facing Nigerians, including poverty, unemployment, insecurity, power shortages, declining productivity, and rising living costs, rather than engaging in political confrontations with critics.
“Nigeria deserves leadership that listens more than it lectures, serves more than it celebrates itself, and accepts responsibility rather than constantly searching for excuses,” the statement added.
