The ongoing discourse about who is best suited to govern Nigeria took a sharper turn on Monday as a prominent All Progressives Congress (APC) figure, Biodun Ajiboye, openly challenged the leadership capabilities of former Anambra State governor Peter Obi. Ajiboye expressed skepticism over Obi’s potential to surpass current President Bola Tinubu’s achievements.
During an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today program, Ajiboye dismissed the notion of Obi’s alleged accomplishments in Anambra as exaggerated. He questioned Obi’s credentials and governance record, insinuating that Obi had neither the experience nor the qualifications to adequately address Nigeria’s complex challenges.
“Even if you produce a million Obis, none can surpass Tinubu. What miracle did he perform in Anambra?” Ajiboye remarked, challenging supporters who often credit Obi with transformative feats at the state level.
Ajiboye further underscored that Obi’s previous role as the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections did not adequately prepare him to govern Nigeria. “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,” Ajiboye added, casting doubt on Obi’s administrative skill set.
Defending President Tinubu’s reformist approach, Ajiboye acknowledged the tough economic decisions that have been made since Tinubu assumed office, including the controversial removal of fuel subsidies and efforts to unify the exchange rate. He emphasized that these measures were necessary to avert a total economic collapse.
“We were subsidising electricity and fuel. Any nation doing all these must have a highly productive economy, but we don’t,” Ajiboye explained. “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.’”
The APC chieftain urged Nigerians to consider the long-term benefits of current sacrifices, stating that enduring short-term hardship was a preferable alternative to allowing the economy to crash. “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? The nation was going to crash if such steps were not taken.”
Ajiboye did not spare other prominent opposition figures, including Peter Obi and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, accusing them of sidestepping the harsh realities confronting Nigeria’s economy. He contrasted this with President Tinubu’s governance rooted in his legacy as Lagos governor, portraying it as a stronger framework for Nigeria’s revival.
“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,” Ajiboye concluded.