Nigerian activist and lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, has put President Bola Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar – a former Vice President and a former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, in the same category as he reflects on the 2023 general elections.
Recall that the trio of Tinubu, Atiku and Obi were presidential candidates for the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party, respectively, during the last election.
During a recent interview, Adeyanju said if he had to choose between the three presidential candidates, he would vote for Peter Obi ahead of Atiku and Tinubu.
However, he said he would not have Omoyele Sowore, candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), on the ballot and vote for Obi.
According to Adeyanju, President Tinubu, Obi, and Atiku all “campaigned for capitalism, advocating fuel subsidy removal.”
“For me, if Tinubu, Atiku, and Obi were on the ballot, I would vote for Obi. But what changed my mind is that I can’t have Sowore on the ballot and still vote for Obi. Ideologically, Obi is not much different from Tinubu and Atiku.
“They all campaigned for capitalism, advocating fuel subsidy removal. Why can’t they remove subsidies for politicians and the rich instead?
“Do you know how much we subsidize for Dangote in this country? Nigeria practically subsidizes Dangote. He thrives off Nigeria’s resources. Do you know how much we subsidize for Akpabio and others in the National Assembly?” Adeyanju asked in the interview with Daily Post.
He asked further saying: “Did you read that the First Lady wanted to travel one time and exchange naira into dollars? I can’t recall the amount exchanged. Didn’t you see the president buying a new jet? Haven’t you seen some people saying the Vice President needs a new jet? Why should the poverty capital of the world buy new jets for unproductive politicians?
“Why should I believe that Atiku, Peter Obi, and Tinubu are any different when they all promote capitalism and bow to the IMF?.
When asked on whether Nigeria need a new breed of politicians ahead of the 2027 general elections, Adeyanju said: “For me, I would go for a new breed because these are birds of a feather. They have been doing the same things repeatedly. They all advocated for fuel subsidy removal; only Sowore was different.
“But as bad as considering them as options is, I still advise that Atiku, Obi, and Kwankwaso should unite because being divided is detrimental, which is one of the things I condemned during the last election. They only united after they lost, even holding a joint press conference to protest their loss.”
Asked whether has has any problem with Peter Obi, Adeyanju said: “Sincerely speaking, I don’t hate any of these politicians; I just criticize them. Nigerians don’t love to be criticized. It’s not only the leaders—Nigerians generally don’t like to be criticized or held accountable. Nigerians generally have a “God complex,” and that’s why they treat people they support as demi-gods. You can actually see this God complex in our polity. Most Nigerians block people who criticize them, and I think I’m the only Nigerian who retweets criticism and insults. Why shouldn’t we tolerate criticism? Why should we see criticism as hatred? Tinubu will say we hate him—no, we are criticizing you.
What I was saying, paradoxically, is that none of these guys is the messiah or different from the bullion van convener in the villa; they are all the same. That was just what I was saying.
“After all, he invested Anambra State government money in his family business; how would that amount to hate? I’m just stating the obvious.”