Presidency Warns Peter Obi Over ‘Collapsed Democracy’ Comment

Presidency dismissed Peter Obi’s claim that Nigeria’s democracy has collapsed, calling it exaggerated and baseless.

Obi, however, insisted that democratic institutions are deteriorating and need urgent rebuilding.

Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has dismissed Peter Obi’s claim that democracy in Nigeria has collapsed, describing it as an exaggerated and baseless assertion.

VerseNews reports that Obi made the statement during a colloquium marking the 60th birthday of former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and ex-Imo Governor, Emeka Ihedioha.

The former Anambra governor argued that Nigeria’s democracy had suffered severe setbacks under the current administration, citing his political experiences as evidence of declining democratic institutions.

“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 said.

He lamented the erosion of institutional independence, contrasting past democratic interventions with the present situation.

“I became a governor through the courts. When (former) President (Olusegun) Obasanjo and Atiku (Abubakar) were in government, I did not pay the courts one naira; I was sitting in my house, in an office, and the court declared me winner,” Obi recalled.

“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. Even when I was impeached, President Obasanjo called me and said, ‘Are you okay? Are you safe?’ I couldn’t believe it. Now the president (referring to the present administration) will ask him not to come back here again,” he added.

Reacting via X (formerly Twitter), Onanuga criticized Obi’s remarks, insisting that Nigeria’s democracy has remained resilient since 1999 and continues to grow stronger.

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“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 stated.

He questioned how a democracy that has endured and grown over the past 26 years could be said to have collapsed, adding that Obi himself is a direct beneficiary of democratic freedoms.

“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,” he added.

Onanuga further urged Obi to be more cautious with his statements, warning against what he described as playing to the gallery.

Obi, however, maintained that Nigeria’s democracy is failing and requires urgent attention to rebuild. “Let’s not talk about it. Let’s talk about how we are going to rebuild it. It’s collapsing,” he said.

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