The Presidency has strongly rejected calls by the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to resign from office, describing the demand as unnecessary and a distraction from the task of governance.
Obi had earlier called on President Tinubu to follow the example of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer by stepping down over what he described as the administration’s inability to fulfil key campaign promises and address the country’s pressing economic and security challenges.
Responding in a statement on Tuesday, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said Obi’s comparison between Nigeria and the United Kingdom was inappropriate because both countries operate different political systems. According to him, while the UK functions under a parliamentary system where a prime minister can be replaced by the ruling party, Nigeria runs a presidential system in which the president is elected for a fixed four-year tenure through a popular vote.
Onanuga maintained that President Tinubu enjoys a constitutional mandate that can only be renewed or terminated through elections, stressing that calls for resignation based on political disagreements undermine democratic principles. He argued that recent victories recorded by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State and several senatorial by-elections in Nasarawa, Enugu, Ondo and Rivers states reflected continued confidence in the administration and its policies.
The presidential aide advised Obi and other opposition figures to channel their grievances through democratic means and prepare for the 2027 general election rather than resort to public campaigns demanding the President’s exit from office. He accused the former Anambra State governor of attempting to create unnecessary political tension through social media engagements.
Defending the administration’s performance, Onanuga stated that President Tinubu inherited deep-rooted security and economic challenges that had accumulated over the years. He said the government had intensified military operations against terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements, resulting in the elimination of thousands of insurgents and the rescue of numerous kidnap victims across the country.
He added that the administration had invested heavily in modern security equipment, including drones and intelligence-gathering technology, aimed at strengthening the capacity of security agencies to tackle emerging threats and restore peace in troubled regions.
On the economy, the Presidency acknowledged that Nigerians were facing hardship but attributed part of the difficulties to global economic pressures affecting supply chains and commodity prices. According to Onanuga, the government remains committed to implementing reforms designed to stabilise the economy, attract investment and create sustainable growth.
Describing Obi’s demand as “childish and hollow,” the Presidency insisted that Nigeria was gradually making progress under President Tinubu’s leadership and remained firmly on the path towards economic recovery, national security and long-term development. The statement reaffirmed the administration’s determination to remain focused on delivering its agenda despite criticisms from opposition figures.
