Nigeria’s Presidency has warned the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi to be mindful of his comments on the country’s democracy.
Reacting to a recent statement by Obi, at the Emeka Ihedioha Colloquium, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described the former Anambra Governor’s claim that the country’s democracy has collapsed as misleading and overly dramatic.
“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.
“How can a democracy that has strengthened over the past 26 years be said to have collapsed? Only a discontented and disgruntled Peter, who benefits from the very free speech democracy provides, could perceive such a democratic downfall through his lens.
“If democracy had indeed collapsed, as Peter claims, and we were living under a regime antithetical to democratic principles, he would not have been able to make his comments on Monday at Emeka Ihedioha’s colloquium. I will urge him to watch what he says and restrain himself from playing to the gallery,” he warned.
The outspoken former LP flag bearer had declared during the colloquium that the state of governance in the country has reached a critical point, lamenting the collapse of democracy.
In his words, “Democracy has collapsed in Nigeria. Everything has been knocked down. We are in a situation where we should stop lamenting and start rebuilding.”
Obi noted th the ongoing political turmoil in Rivers State, particularly the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his Deputy and the state assembly, is a clear evidence of the country’s failing democratic institutions.
According to him, such incidents exemplify a broader breakdown of the rule of law and democratic governance, suggesting that the political unrest was reflective of a deeper structural issue within the nation’s governance.
