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Tag: Peter Obi

  • Aftermath of Edo, Katsina, Borno killings: Angry Obi says war should be declared on insecurity

    Aftermath of Edo, Katsina, Borno killings: Angry Obi says war should be declared on insecurity

    Aftermath of of massive killings across Nigeria, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has urged the Federal Government to declare a “national war” on insecurity, warning that the level of violence and loss of lives in Nigeria now mirrors that of nations in active conflict.

    Obi’s call follows reports that over 100 people were killed in a wave of violent attacks across Borno, Sokoto, Katsina, and Edo states over the weekend.

    “Bloody Weekend: over 100 Killed in Borno, Sokoto, Katsina, Edo. This grim headline captures the frightening reality reflected in our weekend papers,” Obi wrote on X on Sunday.

    “The killing of eight NSCDC officers, the abduction of a Chinese national in Edo, the kidnapping of passengers on the Benin–Iyere–Oluku road, and the slaughter of five soldiers and 58 civilians in Borno are not isolated tragedies. They are stark evidence that Nigeria is in the grip of a full-blown security emergency.

    “When over 100 Nigerians are killed in a single weekend, our casualty figures rival those of countries officially at war. This is no longer business as usual. It is time to declare a national war on insecurity — to mobilise every resource, every agency, every state, and to suspend all distractions while we begin the process of reclaiming our nation from lawlessness.”

    The former Anambra State governor condoled the families of “our fallen heroes”, adding that “Their courage reminds us that we still have men and women who are willing to risk everything for our safety.”

    He urged that their killers must be swiftly apprehended and brought to justice, as their sacrifices must never be forgotten.

    “Even foreign trips by government officials should be put on hold until the situation is brought under control. True leadership must be seen at home, personally coordinating the war against insecurity. Junketing around the world under the pretence of wooing investors, while the country bleeds, is to live in denial. Investors will not come into a war zone.

    “No nation can prosper while its citizens live under siege. History shows that insecurity is the quickest path to national collapse — Somalia and Libya stand as painful warnings.

    “We must act now, with urgency and courage, to prevent a total descent into anarchy and rebuild Nigeria into a safe, secure, and productive nation for all,” he added.

  • Obi reportedly cancels local and foreign engagements over health issues

    Obi reportedly cancels local and foreign engagements over health issues

    Panic as presidential flag bearer of Labour Party, in last general elections in Nigeria Peter Obi’s health reportedly deteriorates.

    This was gathered after Peter Obi made this known in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, explaining that he began feeling unwell during an engagement in Enugu State earlier this week.

    “Earlier in Enugu, I was not feeling well. I visited the hospital where the doctor gave me some medication and advised me to take a day or two days rest.

    In obedience to the doctor’s advice, I will not be able to meet up with all my scheduled engagements within and outside the country this weekend,” Peter Obi wrote.

    The former Anambra State governor apologised for the disruption this may cause, while expressing gratitude for the understanding of his supporters and associates.

    Recall that before the health scare, Mr Obi had participated in an event in Enugu and later visited the Good Hope Specialist Hospital in Isulo, Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State.

    The hospital is being acquired by the Aguata Diocese of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion).

    During the visit, he announced a ₦10 million donation to support the diocese in revitalising the hospital into a comprehensive health complex that will include a School of Nursing, Midwifery, and Health Technology.

    From Isulo, Mr Obi travelled to Owerri, Imo State, where he attended a dinner organised by lawyer Nnaemeka Maduagwu in honour of former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai.

    Also, recall that since losing the 2023 presidential election to Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Obi has maintained a busy public schedule, often attending political, business, and faith-based events at home and abroad.

    He has also been vocal on national issues, particularly the state of the economy, rising insecurity, and the need for improved governance.

  • I blame the media – Abati knocks Wike over remarks on Peter Obi, Jonathan

    I blame the media – Abati knocks Wike over remarks on Peter Obi, Jonathan

    Reuben Abati, the former presidential media aide, has called out the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over his remarks against the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi,  former president, Goodluck Jonathan and Nasir El-Rufai.

    TheNewsGuru.com(TNG) reports the veteran journalist while reacting to the FCT minister’s recent media chat, argued that Wike has no moral ground to speak against other people

    Recall, Wike had cautioned Obi against returning to the Peoples Democratic Party after calling the party rotten and also advised Jonathan to resist the urge to contest the 2027 presidency.

    Reacting, Abati blamed journalists who consistently interview the former Rivers State Governor and give him screen time just in exchange for monetary benefits.

    “Wike is not in a position to talk about character. In fact, if he talks about character, he should question his own character.

    “I don’t know why people have problems with basic intelligence and decorum. He goes on television and he says Peter Obi doesn’t have character. Peter Obi left PDP and went to Labour Party, now he is in ADC. In fact, it is Wike himself who destroyed the party.

    “And he also says fPresident Jonathan should not run on the platform of the PDP because he is a statesman. He is not in a position to advise Jonathan, just as he has made it clear that nobody can advise him.

    “And who is he to determine the destiny of the PDP when he is already in another political party? And I blame the media. The media gives him a platform to disparage other political opponents.  Yesterday, he was talking about Peter Obi, Jonathan, and El-Rufai. What gives him that high ground to talk recklessly and unintelligently?

     “The media are the ones going to interview him, and they are the ones collecting money to put him on the air,” Abati submitted.

    He cautioned the media to stop giving a platform for Wike to make overreaching and disparaging claims about political opponents.

  • Why I tackled Peter Obi – Morayo Afolabi-Brown opens up

    Why I tackled Peter Obi – Morayo Afolabi-Brown opens up

    Morayo Afolabi-Brown, the former television host has admitted that her past criticism of the presidential candidate of the Labour party (LP) Peter Obi, was made without proper knowledge of his record.

    She further explained that her earlier remarks came at a time when she knew little about his achievements in office.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that she later realised she had been wrong after people drew her attention to his performance as governor.

    “It was because I did not know him. After I made that comment, people called me and said, ‘Morayo, do you realise that when he was governor, he actually served us?’

    “So that was him. I said, ‘Oh, I did not know,” she said.

    She also revealed that her decision to leave Your View came after the program’s tenth anniversary.

    She had been contemplating a change for some time, and reaching this milestone gave her the confidence that it was the right moment to pursue new opportunities.

    She further narrated how she was once dismissed from TVC until her identity as the daughter of the late human rights lawyer Alao Aka-Bashorun was made known to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, after which she was reinstated.

    “People now call Asiwaju, ‘Do you know whose child was sacked?’ He said, ‘I’m not aware.’

    “He said, ‘This is the Alao Aka-Bashorun’s daughter. That’s when he knew it was me,” she recalled.

  • If opposition presents Obi, I will vote Tinubu – Deji Adeyanju

    If opposition presents Obi, I will vote Tinubu – Deji Adeyanju

    Human rights activist, Deji Adeyanju, has declared that he would vote for President Bola Tinubu if the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the opposition coalition, decides to field Peter Obi as its candidate in the 2027 presidential election.

    Adeyanju made the remark on Friday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Morning Brief when asked if his criticisms of Obi were an attempt to discredit the former Anambra Governor.

    “God forbid that I support APC. If the opposition presents Peter Obi, I will vote for Tinubu,” he said.

    The rift between Adeyanju and Obi recently escalated into a legal matter after the 64-year-old politician, through his legal team, threatened to sue the activist for alleged defamatory comments on social media and in interviews.

    Adeyanju dismissed the legal threat, saying he was eager to face Obi in court.

    He also accused Obi of promoting what he described as a toxic political culture, pointing to the conduct of some of the “Obidient” supporters during the last election cycle.

    “We cannot have a man who leads a mob that terrorises people online and cannot tolerate criticism, who calls people all sorts of names. Anybody who cannot support their candidate is seen as an enemy of Nigeria or has been paid to do so. That is not democracy,” Adeyanju said.

    Questioning Obi’s democratic credentials, the activist argued that the Labour Party leader had not made sacrifices comparable to those of other Nigerians who fought for the country’s democratic survival.

    “What sacrifices has he made for democracy? Many of us have put our lives on the line at great personal cost. We must sanitise our polity. We cannot have a country where people who terrorise others online dictate the tone of political discourse,” he said.

    Reflecting on his past choices at the polls, Adeyanju insisted that he had always voted based on principle.

    “In my opinion, I have never voted for a bad candidate. In 1999, I voted for Olusegun Obasanjo. In 2011, I voted for Goodluck Jonathan.

    “In 2015, I voted for Jonathan again, against the so-called lovers of democracy who wanted Muhammadu Buhari,” he said.

  • A political fraud – Deji Adeyanju exposes how Peter Obi tried to ‘bribe’ him

    A political fraud – Deji Adeyanju exposes how Peter Obi tried to ‘bribe’ him

    Nigerian lawyer and activist Deji Adeyanju has described the Labour Party (LP) 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, as a political fraud, parading himself as a messiah.

    Adeyanju during a recent interview on Channels Television, while speaking on Peter Obi’s political character said, “He is a political fraud, parading himself as a messiah. Didn’t he swear never to leave APGA? Yet he left. Today, he has one leg in PDP, another in ADC, and still in Labour Party. That’s a political prostitute.”

    The controversial activist also took a swipe at Peter Obi’s supporters, popularly known as ‘Obidients,’ accusing them of toxicity and intolerance during the 2023 election season.

    He stated, “Obidient mobs became practically uncontrollable. They threatened judges, harassed artists, insulted Prof. Wole Soyinka, and attacked anyone who criticised Obi. We had never seen such toxicity in Nigerian politics except under Buhari.” 

    He further recounted how the former Anambra governor attempted to offer him money during the buildup to the 2023 election, as he emphasised that he initially avoided Peter Obi’s repeated attempts to meet him after his public commentaries in 2022 that seemed to favour his chances.

    He said, “In the buildup to the 2023 general election, because I’m not political, I was just expressing my thoughts about how and why the opposition should come together and unite against the criminal and roguish APC government.

    “I had always said that if the opposition remained divided, there was no way they could win. I was simply expressing my political views as a Nigerian.

    “The idea of Obi’s candidacy excited me, and I said that he needed the buy-in of Atiku (Abubakar) and (Rabiu) Kwankwaso. I even urged Kwankwaso to deputise Obi, and I urged Atiku to step down for Peter Obi.

    “Obi was persistent in trying to reach me when I was out of the country. Eventually, one of his aides, a journalist, facilitated a meeting. At the meeting, Obi commended me and said it would be exciting to work together. I told him I wasn’t working with anybody. I was flabbergasted by his defence. His justification disgusted me.”

    The activist alleged that as he prepared to leave the meeting, Peter Obi stepped into another room and returned with an envelope, insisting it was ‘a small thing for coming’ but he rejected it.

    “I laughed and told him he didn’t know me. I don’t collect such things. If anything, I’m the one who brings out money to support causes. I rejected it and left,” Adeyanju stated.

    He said he never revealed the incident until Peter Obi’s aides later accused him of demanding N200 million from the Labour Party candidate, an allegation he described as “false and malicious.”

    Adeyanju maintained that every allegation made against Peter Obi was factual and challenged him to proceed with the defamation suit.

    He declared, “If he wants to do his worst, let him”

  • You lack direction – Lagos APC mocks Peter Obi

    You lack direction – Lagos APC mocks Peter Obi

    The All progressive Congress (APC) Lagos State chapter on Thursday mocked the former presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) Peter Obi, describing his recent political moves as inconsistent and lacking in principle.

    The party’s Publicity Secretary, Seye Oladejo in a statement seen by (TheNewsGuru.com(TNG) reports  that Obi’s political relevance had waned since the 2023 elections, while the Labour Party had become fractured and lacked direction.

    Oladejo said Obi, who rose to prominence during the 2023 elections on the back of youth support and social media mobilisation, had failed to build on that momentum.

    He said, “In 2023, Mr. Obi emerged as a digital-era phenomenon, buoyed by youthful frustration and social media fervour. He campaigned on the promise of a new political order—one that would challenge the status quo and deliver a ‘New Nigeria.’

    “Today, however, we must ask: Whither Peter Obi? Is he now politically stranded or ideologically orphaned?”

    The APC spokesman described Obi’s recent alliance with the African Democratic Congress as a “stillborn coalition,” arguing it portrayed him as a politician driven by ambition rather than ideology.

    Oladejo further stated, “Indeed, Mr. Obi may now be reaping the bitter fruits of political prostitution. Having, at different times, been in bed with the PDP, seduced the Labour Party, and now romanced the hollow structure of the ADC, he has left behind a trail of alliances formed not on principle but on convenience.”

    The party also dismissed the “Obidient Movement,” saying it had fizzled out without structure or lasting impact.

    In contrast, the Lagos APC praised its own record, claiming that under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the ruling party was delivering pragmatic governance focused on economic revitalisation, policy reforms, and national unity.

    He added, “As we look to 2027, the question is no longer whether Peter Obi will contest. The real question is: does he have a home to contest from? Or has he finally become what many feared—a political drifter, orphaned by the very movement he failed to consolidate?”

  • See you in court – Adeyanju reacts to Peter Obi’s defamation suit

    See you in court – Adeyanju reacts to Peter Obi’s defamation suit

    The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, has threatened to sue activist and lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, over alleged false and defamatory publications against him on social media.

    Obi, through his lawyer, Chief Alex Ejesieme, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, accused Adeyanju of persistently using his X and Facebook accounts to publish damaging claims portraying him as corrupt, fraudulent, and a religious bigot.

    In a letter dated August 26, 2025, Obi’s legal team said the statements, some dating back to 2022, were calculated to tarnish his image and mislead the public.

    Among the allegations cited, Adeyanju claimed Obi diverted Anambra State funds into family businesses, attempted to bribe him after a private meeting, and used religion to manipulate voters during the 2023 presidential election.

    He also repeatedly described the former Anambra governor as “a fraud,” “a religious bigot,” “leader of a mob,” and “a scum.”

    The letter described the publications as “false, malicious, and contrived,” stressing that they had caused “untold damage” to Obi’s reputation at home and abroad.

    Obi’s legal team demanded that Adeyanju delete all the posts, issue a public apology across his social media platforms, and publish apologies in three national dailies.

    It warned that failure to comply within seven days would lead to a lawsuit seeking aggravated damages, an injunction restraining Adeyanju from further defamatory remarks, and recovery of legal costs.

    Reacting via his Facebook page,  Adeyanju dismissed Obi’s demands and vowed to meet him in court.

    “Just got this letter from Peter Obi the religious bigot demanding a retraction from me. I laughed so hard. A fraud parading himself as a messiah. This same guy called the great Sowore a blackmailer-in-chief,” he wrote.

    The activist further alleged that Obi was attempting to shield his supporters from legal scrutiny, referencing a separate dispute involving his (Adeyanju’s) wife.

    “We served his little errand girl Serah a letter to retract all her defamatory publications on Monday against my wife & she ran to the leader of the mob for help. Can’t wait to meet him in court,” he stated.

  • The only way Peter Obi can get presidential ticket – Abba Moro

    The only way Peter Obi can get presidential ticket – Abba Moro

    Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro has said the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi can secure the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, only if he returns to the party.

    Moro, who is the lawmaker representing Benue South senatorial district, disclosed this on Tuesday while responding to questions in an interview on Politics Today.

    When asked about the possibility of Peter Obi returning to the PDP, the lawmaker said, “But you know, in politics, nothing is certain. I’ve always said that in politics, two plus two is not four, and so, these are matters of interest. And when it comes to existential interest from a community of persons within a geopolitical zone, it is possible.

    “As a party we are yet to speak to Peter Obi; some people are already talking to him, and he stands a chance of getting the party’s ticket if he returns.

    “The conversation is predicated on the belief by such individuals that if Peter Obi comes back and is the most favoured candidate, the most supported candidate, and becomes a candidate, the PDP will make an impact in the 2027 general elections.”

  • An advisory to Mr Oseluka Peter Obi – By Steve Egbo

    An advisory to Mr Oseluka Peter Obi – By Steve Egbo

    By Steve Egbo

    Mr Oseluka,

    I have listened to your speech and I can attest to the fact that you speak well. With a modulated foreign accent and all the complimentary frills that went with it. Your speech made a lot of sense too, and the illustrations you drew did fit in.

    But I wish to remind you of the old saying: “a gold fish has no hiding place”. You seem like one goldfish that thought it could find a place to hide. But your personal life may not just be as personal as you thought. Or would wish.

    As the son of a prominent man, a big time politician, your life, your style, your friends, your temperament, your sexuality, indeed everything you do, is subject to critical public attention and forensic scrutiny. You should therefore be careful, very careful what you do or fail to do. Words are powerful; but our actions are far more powerful and much more impactful.

    This is not just for you. Same applies to celebrities all over the world – whether they are in the theater, sports, politics, royalty, etc etc. The greatest pain of the late Queen Elizabeth was not the collapse of the British Empire under her reign; or the sun setting on Britannia. It came from the indiscretions and recklessness of her children. These were the deep, private pains the grand old lady carried to her grave.

    You do yourself a lot of damage, including your family, especially your family, when you allow what you do in private to become public knowledge. You spoke about personal life, but you forgot to keep that personal life personal. The society will judge you, not necessarily because you do certain things, but because you allowed yourself to be found out. And the judgement of society is often harsh and brutal and unsparing.

    Benito Musolini once said, “gossip is sweet, except when you are the topic”, and he was right. We all enjoy gossip. The more sallacious and grissly the better. So let those in delicate positions – the high and mighty, the stars, the top fliers, the golden fishes, the Oselukas of this world – let them guard themselves and their conduct. Let the “Eleventh Commandment” be your abiding code.

    Mr Oseluka, you can sleep with whomever you want to sleep with, that’s your business, but don’t let us know about it. Don’t flaunt it under our noses. And don’t let the world know about it otherwise the backlash will be scorching and bristling and upending. This is the best thing you can do for yourself and your family. Humanity is full of hypocrisy and petulance. And it will hurt you and your family, especially your father, political career or not.

    Steve Egbo, Consultant/Resource Person, NILDS, Abuja