2027: Presidency in panic mode over Obi’s defection – Atiku alleges
The political camp of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has described the Presidency’s attack on Peter Obi’s defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a sign of panic within Aso Rock ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Atiku’s Special Adviser on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, stated this in a reaction on Wednesday, countering statements made by Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga.
Onanuga had earlier dismissed Obi’s move, suggesting the former Labour Party candidate remained bitter over his third-place finish in 2023 and criticising his reliance on foreign expertise and scholarly statistics.
Firing back, Shaibu described Onanuga’s comments as lacking the professionalism expected of a presidential spokesperson, noting that the Presidency is unsettled by the shifting political alliances.
"This outburst says more about panic in Aso Rock than it does about Peter Obi," Shaibu stated.
He ridiculed the attempt to paint Obi as a political wanderer, pointing out the irony in such a claim coming from an administration formed through high-stakes political migrations and elite bargaining.
"Calling Obi ‘wandering’ while defending an administration built on political migrations and elite bargains is hypocrisy dressed up as commentary," he added.
Addressing the Presidency’s dismissal of Obi’s statistics-driven critiques, Shaibu argued that propaganda cannot mask the lived reality of Nigerians.
He insisted that the reforms praised by the government are felt by the average citizen only as hunger, insecurity, and diminishing livelihoods.
Shaibu also moved to quell speculations regarding the hierarchy of any potential opposition coalition, specifically rejecting the narrative that Obi would play second fiddle to Atiku.
"There is no ticket, no candidate, no imposed hierarchy. What exists is a coalition conversation, and that is what truly unsettles you," he declared.
The statement concluded with a reminder that power ultimately resides with the electorate, asserting that insults don’t win elections and spin doesn’t fill stomachs.