Dr. Yunusa Tanko, the Chief Spokesman for the Obi/ Datti 2003 Presidential Campaign, has criticized Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Tinubu, for accusing LP candidate Peter Obi of inciting “religious and ethnic” issues to promote his political aspirations.
Onanuga made the statement during an appearance on the ‘Mic On podcast’, hosted by journalist Seun Okinbaloye of Channels Television. He also alleged that Obi’s supporters were eager to see the failure of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
According to Onanuga, “What I know about the Obi campaign was that, for the first time in a very long while in our country, we had a candidate who was inflaming ethnic passions. That was the way the election went at that time. He was inflaming ethnic passions, religious passions, bringing two dangerous dimensions to our politics – ethnicity and religion. That is what he did. And those things were dangerous to Nigerian politics.”
Onanuga also claimed that some people were still writing that Bola Tinubu stole the presidency and that the man who came third in the election actually won. He accused members of the “Obidient movement” of being responsible for these claims.
On the issue of whether the Obidient movement wanted the Tinubu government to fail, Onanuga replied, “Of course, it is clear.”
Finally, he accused Obi of being quick to tweet about negative news related to the government but failing to commend it when it did something good.
Meanwhile, Tanko has advised Onanuga to stop insulting the intelligence of Nigerians. Tanko stated that Onanuga was trying to rewrite history by making false claims against Obi.
According to Tanko, Onanuga and his principal, the All Progressives Congress (APC), were the worst culprits when it came to inflaming ethnic and religious tensions.
Tanko also challenged Onanuga to provide evidence to support his claims against Obi. He further debunked Onanuga’s claims that Obi was working against Tinubu’s government, saying that Obi has moved on since the election and has been focusing on nation-building.
Tanko also criticized the current government for its failure to address issues such as inflation, rising food prices, and insecurity.
“Was it Peter Obi that used ‘Emilokan, Yoruba lokan’ and Muslim/ Muslim ticket; as a battle cry for the elections? What is he talking about? Was it Peter Obi who organised attacks on innocent Nigerians, whose only offence was attempting to exercise their civil duties by voting for candidates of their choice in Lagos and elsewhere?
“Where was Onanuga when his principal, now President Bola Tinubu, instructed supporters in a widely circulated video to ‘grab, snatch and run’ with power? What was more inciting than that?
“I challenge Mr. Onanuga to come out with one shred of evidence to prove that Mr. Peter Obi did any such thing before, during and after the election. I think he lives in the illusion that Nigerians have forgotten so soon.”
