The media office of the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has defended his recent call for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to resign, insisting that the demand was rooted in concerns about leadership accountability and worsening living conditions across the country.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by its spokesman, Idris Zekeri Jnr, the Peter Obi Media Reach (POMR) faulted the Presidency’s response to Obi’s remarks, accusing it of focusing on peripheral issues instead of addressing the substance of the criticism.
According to the statement, Obi’s position was informed by what it described as the administration’s failure to improve the welfare of Nigerians, citing rising poverty levels, economic hardship, insecurity and declining public confidence in governance.
The media office argued that Obi’s comments were inspired by the recent resignation of the British Prime Minister, whom it said stepped down after acknowledging that his government had not sufficiently improved the living conditions of citizens.
POMR rejected suggestions by the Presidency that calls for resignation were inconsistent with Nigeria’s presidential system of government, noting that leaders in several presidential democracies had resigned in the past under various circumstances.
The statement cited former United States President Richard Nixon, former Brazilian President Fernando Collor de Mello, former Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski and former Argentine President Fernando de la Rúa as examples of leaders who resigned while serving in presidential systems.
The Obi media office also recalled that Tinubu himself had previously called for the resignation of former President Goodluck Jonathan during the fuel subsidy protests and following the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls, despite Nigeria operating the same presidential system.
POMR maintained that the current administration should be judged by the impact of its policies on ordinary Nigerians rather than by macroeconomic indicators such as GDP growth, revenue increases and stock market performance.
It claimed that millions of Nigerians were facing unprecedented hardship, with businesses shutting down, manufacturers struggling with high production costs and consumers grappling with weak purchasing power.
On security, the group acknowledged some operational successes by security agencies but argued that insecurity had become more widespread across the country, affecting farming, business activities and everyday life.
The statement also dismissed criticisms of Obi’s record as governor of Anambra State, insisting that his administration delivered significant improvements in education, healthcare, infrastructure and security while maintaining fiscal discipline.
POMR further questioned the credibility of the recent elections, describing them as deeply flawed and warning that continued electoral shortcomings could undermine public confidence in Nigeria’s democracy.
The organisation also criticised what it described as a mismatch in national priorities, noting that allocations for elections significantly exceeded budgetary provisions for primary healthcare.
It urged the Federal Government to focus on addressing insecurity, unemployment, poverty, power shortages and declining productivity rather than engaging critics.
“Obi did not call for resignation out of malice or political calculation,” the statement said, adding that accountability should be seen as a hallmark of responsible leadership.
The media office concluded by reiterating Obi’s belief that Nigeria requires leadership that listens to citizens, accepts responsibility for outcomes and prioritises the welfare of the people.