Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, dismissed Peter Obi's defection to the African Democratic Congress as lingering bitterness over his 2023 third-place finish. In a December 31, 2025, statement, Onanuga ridiculed Obi's Enugu speech for citing foreign models like Indonesia and the USA, calling him a "wandering politician" unfit to lead.
Onanuga argued empirical polls prove Obi was robbed of nothing, crediting his South-East votes for third place behind Tinubu and Atiku. He labeled Obi an "abysmal failure" as Anambra governor for eight years, unable to transform even a small state. Nations need original thinkers, not copycats blindly pasting foreign ideas, per Onanuga, praising Tinubu's tailored reforms since 2023.
Obi's move from Labour Party to ADC, welcomed by Atiku, aims to unite opposition ahead of 2027 amid claims of electoral theft. Onanuga portrayed it as sour grapes three years post-election, ignoring Nigeria's unique challenges. This escalates APC-PDP/Obi feud following Obi's rescue Nigeria rhetoric and coalition pledges.
Onanuga's attack underscores ruling party's strategy to undermine opposition alliances like ADC as chaotic. It contrasts Obi's "learned from masters" narrative with accusations of small-minded animosity. As 2027 nears, such barbs highlight intensifying rhetoric over governance and past polls.