Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Presidency has rejected calls by Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate Peter Obi for President Bola Tinubu to resign, describing the demand as "politically misplaced" and a distraction from the administration's reform agenda. In a statement issued on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, by Special Adviser on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency argued that Obi's comparison of Tinubu's situation to the voluntary resignation of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is based on a "selective and distorted view of Nigeria's realities."
The statement asserted that recent electoral victories, including the All Progressives Congress wins in Ekiti State and several senatorial by-elections, reflect continued public confidence in the Tinubu administration. It claimed notable progress in security, citing the rescue of kidnapped victims, the neutralisation of terrorist leaders, and intensified military operations across the country. However, the administration's security record remains a subject of intense public scrutiny, given the persistent attacks, abductions and killings that have continued to plague many states, including the recent killing of farmers in Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State, and the abduction of dozens of residents in Sokoto and Zamfara states.
On the economy, the Presidency cited sustained GDP growth, increased oil production, stronger foreign reserves, rising government revenue and renewed investor confidence as evidence of positive reforms. Yet, the International Monetary Fund has warned that Nigeria's naira remains undervalued by 25.6 per cent despite three years of foreign exchange reforms, while the National Bureau of Statistics reported that company income tax collections fell by 31 per cent in the first quarter of 2026, suggesting that many businesses are struggling to convert sales into profits. Inflation and food prices remain high, and the cost-of-living crisis continues to weigh heavily on millions of households.
The administration pointed to infrastructure projects such as the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway as evidence of long-term development commitments. In education, it highlighted the introduction of interest-free student loans and the absence of prolonged university strikes under its watch. On power, the Presidency noted that Tinubu never promised 24-hour electricity immediately but has taken steps through the Electricity Act, prepaid metering expansion and investment in alternative energy.
While acknowledging the high cost of living, the Presidency attributed economic pressures to global developments and maintained that the administration remains focused on reforms. However, critics have argued that the pace of change has been slow and that the benefits of macroeconomic reforms have yet to reach ordinary Nigerians. Civil society groups have repeatedly called for a state of emergency on insecurity, while labour unions have threatened strikes over unresolved wage and welfare issues.
Onanuga's statement concluded that Obi's call for Tinubu's resignation was politically motivated and failed to acknowledge the administration's progress. But for millions of Nigerians still grappling with the daily realities of insecurity, poverty, and economic hardship, the administration's response to its critics may do little to address the deeper frustrations driving the calls for change.
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