By Luminous Jannamike
The defection of former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has sparked a sharp exchange between the Presidency and the opposition, with an aide to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar accusing Aso Rock of panicking ahead of the 2027 general election.
Reacting to comments credited to presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, Atiku’s Special Adviser on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said the reaction from the Presidency betrayed anxiety rather than confidence, arguing that Obi’s move merely exposed deeper fears within the ruling camp.
In a statement signed by Shaibu, who spoke on behalf of the former Vice President, the Atiku aide said Onanuga’s remarks showed a departure from the restraint expected of someone speaking for the Presidency, describing the tone as defensive and unbecoming.
“As media adviser to President Bola Tinubu, this outburst says more about panic in Aso Rock than it does about Peter Obi,” Shaibu said.
Shaibu argued that Onanuga’s response lacked the composure of a media manager and instead reflected someone under intense pressure.
“You did not write as a media manager; you wrote as a defender under pressure. And pressure replaces reason with ridicule and facts with abuse,” he stated.
He faulted Onanuga for criticising Obi’s political movement, describing it as hypocritical in a political environment long shaped by defections and alliances.
“Calling Obi ‘wandering’ while defending an administration built on political migrations and elite bargains is hypocrisy dressed up as commentary. Nigerian politics has never been a monastery. You know this. Pretending otherwise insults your own record,” Shaibu said.
The Atiku aide also pushed back against attempts to dismiss post-election discontent, insisting that public concerns about the 2023 polls remain valid and widespread.
“Your attempt to brand legitimate electoral grievances as ‘bitterness’ is not analysis; it is damage control. Millions of Nigerians questioned the 2023 process. You can sneer at them, but you cannot erase them,” he said.
Shaibu criticised what he described as the increasing use of insults in official government communication, warning that such conduct reflects poorly on the administration.
“When government communication descends into name-calling, it is usually because results are scarce and anger is abundant,” he said.
He further questioned the administration’s policy direction, arguing that claims of reform do not align with the daily realities faced by Nigerians.
“You dismiss global ideas while defending policies copied wholesale from elsewhere. You praise ‘homegrown solutions’ while celebrating reforms Nigerians experience only as hunger, insecurity, and collapsing livelihoods. Propaganda does not change lived reality,” Shaibu said.
Addressing speculation about opposition alignments, Shaibu dismissed claims that Obi would play a subordinate role within any emerging coalition.
“Your confidence that Obi will ‘play second fiddle’ to Atiku is pure fiction. There is no ticket, no candidate, no imposed hierarchy. What exists is a coalition conversation, and that is what truly unsettles you,” he said.
He insisted that the controversy surrounding Obi’s defection was less about the former governor and more about the next election cycle.
“Let’s be honest: this fury is not about Obi. It is about 2027. It is about fear that Nigerians are organising beyond your control,” Shaibu said.
Shaibu stresed that political power ultimately rests with the electorate, not government spokesmen or political operatives.
“Insults don’t win elections, spin doesn’t fill stomachs, and arrogance does not intimidate hungry people. Nigerians will decide in 2027, not media advisers, not propaganda merchants, and certainly not intimidation masquerading as analysis,” he said.
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