Bayo Onanuga criticizes Peter Obi for allegedly exploiting religious, ethnic divides

The Presidency has taken a firm stance against Peter Obi, the former Labour Party presidential candidate, accusing him of exacerbating religious and ethnic tensions for his political gain, according to statements made by a presidential aide, Mr. Bayo Onanuga.

During a live podcast hosted by Seun Okinbaloye titled 'Mic On', Onanuga expressed concerns over Obi's campaign strategies, alleging that Obi resorted to inflaming ethnic and religious sentiments to further his political ambitions.

"What I know about the campaign of Obi was that for the first time in a very long while in our country, we had a candidate who was inflaming ethnic passions. And that was the way the election went at that time. He was inflaming ethnic passions, religious passions, bringing two dangerous things to our politics - ethnicity and religion. That is what he did. And those things were dangerous to our Nigerian politics," Onanuga remarked.

Additionally, Onanuga refuted claims that President Muhammadu Buhari chose his running mate solely based on religious affiliations, asserting that religion did not factor into the decision-making process. He cited the example of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, stating that Tinubu's selection of a Muslim running mate in Lagos did not result in significant electoral gains solely based on religious demographics.

"If Asiwaju (Bola Tinubu) had done that, we would not have lost Lagos. (Muslim-Muslim ticket) was not religious. Muslim-Muslim ticket did not even win him massive votes; let’s say in Borno where his deputy came from. The man he picked as his VP, he believed that Shettima had the qualities to support him or to be his Vice President. That is why he picked him. He was not looking at religion," Onanuga emphasized.

The remarks by the presidential aide underscore the administration's commitment to promoting unity and inclusivity in Nigerian politics, urging political actors to refrain from exploiting divisive tactics that could undermine the nation's cohesion and stability.