By Muhammad Mamman
A senior figure in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Biodun Ajiboye, has dismissed claims that opposition leader Peter Obi could perform better than President Bola Tinubu if given the opportunity to govern.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme, Ajiboye argued that Obi’s track record as governor of Anambra State failed to demonstrate the leadership qualities required to steer Nigeria.
“Bring a million Obi, he can’t do better — I know, I can even take a bet on it,” Ajiboye said. “What miracle will he perform in government? What miracle was he able to perform in Anambra? Bring the records. How can you say he was successful in Anambra? He wasn’t. He was even much younger then. He was only chairman of a bank. Do you need to study Accounting and Finance to be the chairman of a bank?”
Ajiboye also questioned Obi’s political credentials, asking, “What is Obi’s particular qualification, a quality that makes him feel he can be the best Nigerian president? Let him come and tell me.”
Tinubu’s Economic Decisions Defended
The APC chieftain defended Tinubu’s controversial economic reforms, particularly the removal of petrol subsidy and the floating of the naira. According to him, the measures were tough but necessary to prevent the economy from collapse.
“We were subsidising electricity and fuel. Any nation doing all these must have a highly productive economy, but we don’t. At the point Bola Tinubu came, he said, ‘No, I will not allow this country to go down like this. Let us stop and re-evaluate.’ Is that too much to ask for a country that wants to make progress?” Ajiboye asked.
He added that Nigerians had a choice to endure temporary hardship or face complete economic collapse. “The only question we should ask ourselves now is: do we want to go through the tough times now and enjoy later, or do we want to continue and crash completely?”
‘Opposition Leaders Unwilling To Face Reality’
Ajiboye also accused opposition figures, including Obi, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and former Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai, of ignoring Nigeria’s realities.
“All those things that the opposition people are saying, they are saying them to save their faces. Tinubu’s administration and policies took Nigeria from the dungeon. Nigeria didn’t have a productive economy, but he came in with reforms,” he said, insisting Tinubu’s record as Lagos State governor proved his competence.
Obi Reiterates Commitment To Presidency
Meanwhile, Obi has continued to insist that he can deliver effective governance if elected president. The Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate recently stated that he would only require a single four-year term to transform Nigeria.
Obi, who is now part of an opposition coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), stressed that the alliance would produce a president “with the capacity and compassion to save this country.”
The coalition includes prominent political figures such as Atiku Abubakar, former Senate President David Mark, and ex-governors Rauf Aregbesola, Rotimi Amaechi, and Nasir El-Rufai.
