‘You lied before, you’ll lie again’ — Onanuga mocks Obi’s one-term vow

Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Tinubu, has criticised the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over his recent statement pledging to serve only one term if elected president in 2025.

Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, had reaffirmed his commitment to a four-year presidency, describing the vow as “sacrosanct” and citing former global leaders such as Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, and Nelson Mandela as role models of principled, short-term leadership.

“Nelson Mandela, revered globally as a symbol of justice and reconciliation, chose to serve only one term as President of South Africa, despite immense public pressure to stay longer,” Obi said on his X page.

“His decision was a deliberate act of leadership, a statement that power must serve the people, not the self.”

But reacting via a post on X, Onanuga described Obi as dishonest, arguing that his political record contradicts his current claim.

“You’re neither a Mandela nor a Lincoln or a Kennedy. You sound as if you have never held an elected office before,” Onanuga wrote.

“You sought re-election as Anambra Governor in 2010, and narrowly won courtesy of a divided opposition. Why didn’t you walk away after only one term in office?”

He further questioned Obi’s performance over his two terms as governor, alleging that he failed to significantly transform Anambra State and casting doubt on his ability to govern a complex nation like Nigeria in just four years.

“If you couldn’t transform a small Anambra after 8 years, is there a guarantee that you’ll do anything significant under 4 years as President of a complex and complicated Nigeria?” he asked.

Onanuga also accused Obi of breaking past promises and lying “with reckless abandon.”

“You talk about keeping your promises or your vow being your bond, but you and I know that’s not true,” he said.

“You have broken previous promises and usually lie with reckless abandon, sometimes needlessly.”

He cited Obi’s defection from the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) as an example, saying, “You said you won’t leave APGA but you left. The reason for your exit is immaterial because if we’re to make allowance for excuses, you’ll definitely have an excuse to break your one-term vow.”

“You talk about trust, but how do you expect people to trust someone who can’t keep a simple promise not to leave a political party?” he added.