The special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on media and public communications, Sunday Dare, has dismissed claims that the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, poses a political threat to the Tinubu administration, insisting the government remains focused on fulfilling its mandate.
Speaking during an interview on Mic On Podcast on Saturday, Dare said the administration is not worried about Obi, arguing that the government’s performance and policy implementation have strengthened its standing ahead of the 2027 general election.
“This government is not afraid of Peter Obi. He is not a nightmare to our government. Maybe before, Peter Obi was a threat, but right now, he is no threat because we stand on the solid ground of performance,” Dare said.
He added that the administration has taken time to assess the country’s key challenges and is rolling out policies and programmes aimed at tackling them.
“We have been able to interrogate the problems of this country. Decisions are being taken, policies are being unfolded across the country, and we have a scorecard to show,” he added.
Dare also criticised Obi’s public remarks, saying some of his comments and interviews lacked clarity.
“Peter Obi is not a nightmare. Maybe you replace nightmare with nuisance because if you see some of his reactions, they are very pedantic. Sometimes you wonder. You listen to some of his interviews, ask him a question, and he goes in a roundabout direction that does not make sense,” he said.
On the 2027 presidential race, Dare maintained that Obi would be unable to repeat his 2023 performance in Lagos, where he defeated Tinubu during the presidential election.
“Peter Obi defeated President Tinubu in Lagos in 2023. This is 2027; he can’t defeat Tinubu again in Lagos,” he said.