Bayo Onanuga, spokesman for Nigeria’s presidency, called Peter Obi a pathological and serial liar on Wednesday after Obi said he feared he might not survive to contest the 2027 election.
Obi made the remarks during an interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo on the show With Chude, a clip of which Jideonwo posted on X on Wednesday. Obi, now presidential candidate of the newly formed Nigeria Democratic Congress after running under the Labour Party in 2023, said the pressure surrounding his political and business activities had grown so intense that he could not be certain he would live to see the next election.
In the interview, Obi said the government was deliberately obstructing his livelihood and cited an incident in which his car was reportedly blocked at an airport while other vehicles were left untouched. He also said some associates had grown reluctant to be seen with him publicly, adding that some had advised him against attending their family gatherings.
Responding in a statement on X, Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, rejected the claims as unfounded and misleading, arguing that the airport episode, by Obi’s own account, appeared to stem from a parking violation rather than political targeting. He described Obi as “a pathological and serial liar” who habitually drew the government into his personal setbacks.
Onanuga argued that Obi’s comments were designed to attract sympathy and to distract from difficulties facing his Special Purpose Vehicle and his new political party. He also addressed Obi’s business interests directly, noting his substantial stake in Fidelity Bank and arguing the lender continues to perform well under the government’s economic reforms, dismissing any suggestion that the bank was being targeted because of Obi’s involvement.
Onanuga said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration remained focused on consolidating its reforms and had no interest in engaging with Obi’s campaign. Neither Obi nor the Nigeria Democratic Congress had issued a further public response by the time of this report.
