Tunji Wusu –
Peter Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, withdrew his recognition of Bola Tinubu as president of Nigeria on Friday.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced Tinubu as the victor of the 2023 presidential election, defeating Labour Party candidate Obi.
The former governor of Anambra State and former PDP vice presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar are contesting Tinubu’s victory in court. Both of the candidates who finished third and second, respectively, assert that they won the election and want the court to remove Tinubu from office.
Neither Obi nor Atiku have addressed Tinubu as president since his inauguration on Monday, May 29, 2023, when he succeeded former President Muhammadu Buhari. But on Friday, Obi did.
What took place?
On Wednesday, President Tinubu was greeted with a hero’s welcome in Lagos, the state he presided over from 1999 to 2007 and which has had a significant impact on the election of subsequent governors. It was his first trip since becoming president of Nigeria.
Numerous members of his support team and political leaders, including Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, were present to welcome him to the state.
However, the president’s visit was severely criticized after a protracted motorcade followed him to his new private residence. SUVs could be observed traveling quickly in front of and behind Tinubu’s vehicle. At the same time that Tinubu declared the abolition of fuel subsidies during his inauguration presidential speech, Nigerians are lamenting the rise in the price of gasoline.
In response to criticism, Olusegun Dada, Tinubu’s digital media assistant, tweeted that “the official vehicles of the president and principal aides make up less than 10% of the Motorcade”.
The other vehicles in the presidential motorcade belonged to various state governors, the leaders of all security agencies, party leaders, and the president’s political allies, all of whom were present at the airport to greet him, according to Dada.
Obi deletes tweet after addressing Tinubu as “Mr. President”
As criticism and defense from Tinubu’s fans poured in, Obi declared that “sacrifices for a better Nigeria must start from the leaders at all levels of government.”
The candidate for the Labour party initially tweeted that he had not yet seen the footage “allegedly showing Mr. President with about a 120-car convoy.”
After making his remark, Obi erased the tweet and replaced it with one that didn’t mention Tinubu as president.
In a later tweet, Obi stated, “We cannot continue to advocate for the people to sacrifice without sacrificing too. Because the people are suffering, sacrifices must now be made by the leaders in a visible and quantifiable way at all times. We have to lead the charge in finding solutions to the suffering right now.
