Obi’s Followers Give Him ‘Licence To Lie’ — Presidency

The Presidency has accused supporters of the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress( NDC) Peter Obi of giving him what it described as a “licence to lie,” alleging that they defend him even when his claims are challenged with facts.

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, made the allegation in a series of posts on his X handle while reacting to the latest response by the Anambra State Government to statements attributed to Obi.

Onanuga said Obi’s supporters appeared to apply different standards to him, arguing that claims made by the former governor were often defended by his followers even when they were disputed.

According to him, “No one blames Obi for being a pathological liar,” because his supporters would allegedly respond that they knew he was lying but question why anyone should expose the alleged falsehoods of “a brother.”

Onanuga said such an attitude amounted to hypocrisy and double standards, which, in his view, did not promote public accountability or ethical politics.

“Those who love H.E. Peter Obi should advise him to stop lying as a habit so as to avoid the constant embarrassment of confronting inconvenient facts and truth,” he stated.

He further accused Obi’s supporters of applying different standards to the former governor and other political actors.

Onanuga cited the controversy over Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s decision to support a candidate other than Obi, arguing that Obi’s supporters regarded his political choices as legitimate while criticising Soludo for exercising what Onanuga described as the same right.

The presidential aide also faulted what he described as Obi’s approach to governance, saying the former governor’s emphasis on savings and interest income should not be treated as the sole measure of government performance.

He argued that governance should also be assessed by its impact on the welfare and security of citizens.

Onanuga’s posts followed a response by the Anambra State Government to claims made by Obi and formed part of what he called “Deconstructing Peter Obi.”

He also criticised Obi’s relationship with his predecessors and successors in Anambra, alleging that the former governor had consistently sought to “demarket” those who held the office before and after him.