The Peter Obi Media Reach (POMR) has faulted the
presidency’s response to the call for President Bola Tinubu to resign, saying
leadership is defined by accountability rather than attacks on critics.
On Monday, Obi, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC)
presidential candidate, asked Tinubu to step down from office over the
“monumental failure” in governance.
The former governor of Anambra state said he was evoked to
reflect on governance accountability after listening to Keir Starmer’s
resignation speech, in which the British prime minister announced plans to step
down amid public dissatisfaction over economic challenges and unmet campaign
promises.
But reacting in a statement, Bayo Onanuga, special adviser
to the president on information and strategy, described Obi’s position as
“misplaced” and based on a flawed comparison between the political systems of
the United Kingdom (UK) and Nigeria.
Onanuga said recent election victories recorded by the All
Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti and some senatorial districts reflected
continued public support for Tinubu and his administration.
‘TINUBU MUST BE ACCOUNTABLE’
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Idris Zekeri, POMR
spokesperson, said the presidency failed to address the substance of the former
Anambra governor’s comments and instead resorted to insults, distractions, and
rhetoric.
Zekeri said the presidency engaged in “shadow chasing” by
focusing on the weekend’s “charade election” and the debate over the country’s
system of government, rather than addressing questions of leadership and
accountability.
He added that Nigeria was not operating a parliamentary
system when Tinubu called for the resignation of former President Goodluck
Jonathan.
“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 reads.
“Obi’s intervention was neither personal nor partisan. It
was a reflection on leadership and accountability. Unfortunately, rather than
engage with the substance of the argument, the presidency chose to respond with
insults, distortions, and self-congratulatory rhetoric.
“The Peter Obi Media Office would therefore like to
reiterate that his advice to the President is based on the reality that the
last three years have been among the worst in Nigeria’s history.”
Zekeri said poverty has deepened under Tinubu’s
administration and that the country’s debt burden has reached unprecedented
levels without a corresponding improvement in the living conditions of ordinary
Nigerians.
“No amount of political rhetoric and grandstanding can
conceal the fact that millions of Nigerians are enduring unprecedented economic
hardship. Businesses are shutting down. Manufacturers face unbearable
production costs, while warehouses are filled with unsold goods because of weak
consumer demand,” he said.
“Rather than expend energy attacking critics, the government
should focus on addressing the urgent issues confronting Nigerians: unity,
insecurity, unemployment, poverty, power shortages, declining productivity, and
the erosion of public confidence in governance.”
Zekeri said Nigerians “deserve leadership that listens more
than it lectures” and “accepts responsibility rather than constantly searching
for excuses”.
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