Nigeria Opposition Leaders Demand Protection for Peter Obi

Opposition leaders Atiku Abubakar and Rabiu Kwankwaso called on the Nigerian Federal Government to ensure the safety of presidential candidate Peter Obi and guarantee a fair trial for detained former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai. These demands follow an interview given by Obi to media personality Chude Jideonwo, in which Obi alleged that the government is targeting his business interests and issuing threats against his life specifically because of his role in the opposition.

In the interview, Obi contrasted his current experience with his tenure as governor of Anambra State, recounting how former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Umaru Musa Yar’Adua provided immediate emergency support. He detailed a 2:00 a.m. call to Obasanjo regarding a building collapse caused by erosion in Umuchiyiani, Ekulobia, and noted daily communications with Yar’Adua during a robbery crisis.

Atiku Abubakar, a candidate for the African Democratic Congress, stated that protecting opposition figures is a constitutional responsibility. He criticized the presidency for prioritizing political disputes over national crises such as hunger, corruption, and kidnapping. Similarly, Rabiu Kwankwaso, vice presidential candidate for the Nigeria Democratic Congress, condemned the government's use of personal insults in response to Obi's concerns and warned against weaponizing state institutions to settle political scores.

Responding to the controversy on X, Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Tinubu, dismissed Obi's leadership capabilities. Onanuga described the opposition leader as clueless during both his governorship and his current political activities.