Peter Obi Media Reach (POMRI) Replies Presidency: Leadership Is About Accountability, Not Hurling Insults – SIXT-MEDIA LANE
The Peter Obi Media Reach (POMR) has faulted the presidency’s response to the call for President Bola Tinubu to resign, saying leadership is defined by accountability rather than attacks on critics.
On Monday, Obi, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, asked Tinubu to step down from office over the “monumental failure” in governance.
The former governor of Anambra state said he was evoked to reflect on governance accountability after listening to Keir Starmer’s resignation speech, in which the British prime minister announced plans to step down amid public dissatisfaction over economic challenges and unmet campaign promises.
But reacting in a statement, Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy, described Obi’s position as “misplaced” and based on a flawed comparison between the political systems of the United Kingdom (UK) and Nigeria.
Onanuga said recent election victories recorded by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti and some senatorial districts reflected continued public support for Tinubu and his administration.
‘TINUBU MUST BE ACCOUNTABLE’
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Idris Zekeri, POMR spokesperson, said the presidency failed to address the substance of the former Anambra governor’s comments and instead resorted to insults, distractions, and rhetoric.
Zekeri said the presidency engaged in “shadow chasing” by focusing on the weekend’s “charade election” and the debate over the country’s system of government, rather than addressing questions of leadership and accountability.
He added that Nigeria was not operating a parliamentary system when Tinubu called for the resignation of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
“Our principal’s call was for President Bola Tinubu to learn a lesson from the action of the British Prime Minister, who chose to resign after acknowledging that his government had failed to sufficiently improve the living conditions of its citizens,” the statement reads.
“Obi’s intervention was neither personal nor partisan. It was a reflection on leadership and accountability. Unfortunately, rather than engage with the substance of the argument, the presidency chose to respond with insults, distortions, and self-congratulatory rhetoric.
“The Peter Obi Media Office would therefore like to reiterate that his advice to the President is based on the reality that the last three years have been among the worst in Nigeria’s history.”
Zekeri said poverty has deepened under Tinubu’s administration and that the country’s debt burden has reached unprecedented levels without a corresponding improvement in the living conditions of ordinary Nigerians.
“No amount of political rhetoric and grandstanding can conceal the fact that millions of Nigerians are enduring unprecedented economic hardship. Businesses are shutting down. Manufacturers face unbearable production costs, while warehouses are filled with unsold goods because of weak consumer demand,” he said.
“Rather than expend energy attacking critics, the government should focus on addressing the urgent issues confronting Nigerians: unity, insecurity, unemployment, poverty, power shortages, declining productivity, and the erosion of public confidence in governance.”
Zekeri said Nigerians “deserve leadership that listens more than it lectures” and “accepts responsibility rather than constantly searching for excuses”.
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