A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Biodun Ajiboye, has dismissed suggestions that opposition leader Peter Obi could govern Nigeria better than President Bola Tinubu, declaring that “even a million Obi” cannot match Tinubu’s performance.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, Ajiboye strongly criticised Obi’s record as governor of Anambra State, questioning his credentials and suitability for national leadership.
“Bring a million Obi, he can’t do better. I know; I can even take a bet on it. What miracle will he perform in government? What miracle was he able to perform in Anambra?” Ajiboye asked.
Challenging Obi’s profile, the APC stalwart added:
“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. Do you need to study Accounting and Finance to be the chairman of a bank? What is Obi’s particular qualification, a quality that makes him feel he can be the best Nigerian president? Let him come and tell me.”
Ajiboye further defended President Tinubu’s leadership, insisting that the difficult reforms introduced since May 2023 — including petrol subsidy removal and naira floatation — were necessary steps to rescue Nigeria from economic collapse.
“We were subsidising electricity and fuel. Any nation doing all these must have a highly productive economy, but we don’t. 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.’ Is that too much to ask for a country that wants to make progress?” Ajiboye argued.
“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,” he added.
The APC chieftain also accused opposition leaders, including Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, and Nasir El-Rufai, of being “unwilling to face the reality” confronting Nigeria. He maintained that Tinubu’s track record as Lagos State governor proved he was the right man for Nigeria’s presidency.
“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 said.
Meanwhile, Peter Obi has continued to affirm his presidential ambition, insisting he would deliver effective governance if given the mandate. The Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate recently declared that he would only need a single four-year term to set Nigeria on the right path.
Obi, who is also part of an opposition coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has maintained that the alliance is determined to produce a president “with the capacity and compassion to save this country.”
The coalition includes Atiku Abubakar, former Senate President David Mark, as well as ex-governors Rauf Aregbesola, Rotimi Amaechi, and Nasir El-Rufai.
