By Adesina Soyooye
“When people were fighting for democracy, Gregory (Obi) was buying and selling” – Bwala
For saying that democracy has collapsed in Nigeria, the Presidency has descended on Peter Obi, the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 General Elections.
Obi, also, a two-term Governor of Anambra State spoke on Monday in Abuja at a Colloquium to mark the 60th birthday of a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, who was, also, for eight months, the Governor of Imo State, His Excellency Emeka Ihedioha.
Obi, who took a look at where Nigeria was, what it was before now, compared it to a storey building which had been solidly raised to the first floor, only for it to be knocked down to ground zero by somebody. His summation: Democracy has gone in Nigeria. It has fallen. It has gone to the dogs. It has collapsed.
Stung by Obi’s brutal assessment, especially, made before a very distinguished audience, two Presidential Aides, Daniel Bwala and Bayo Onanuga have descended on him.
In a response on Tuesday, Bwala, President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Policy, dismissed Obi as a failed Politician who does not even understand the meaning of democracy. Obi, he said, has no history of democratic activism.
In a post on his X handle, Bwala rapped: “It is funny how failed politicians are trying to redefine democracy. @PeterObi said democracy has collapsed. Does he even know the meaning of democracy?
“When people were fighting for democracy, Gregory was buying and selling.
“He doesn’t have a history of democratic activities from his school days to date.
“His expertise lies in instigating hate speech and vitriol.
“Talk is cheap”.
Following same pattern, Onanuga, Presidential Special Adviser on Media and Strategy, accused Obi of playing to the gallery.
In a post on his X handle Onanuga said Obi wouldn’t have been able to speak the way he spoke at Ihedioha’s Colloquium if democracy had collapsed in Nigeria.
Onanuga: “I listened multiple times to former Governor Peter Obi’s statement in this clip where he claims that democracy has collapsed in Nigeria.
“His hyperbolic remarks, suited for headlines, have been made without deep reflection, and lack a solid logical foundation.
“Only a discontented and disgruntled Peter who benefits from the very free speech democracy provides could perceive such a democratic downfall through his lens.
“If democracy had indeed collapsed as Peter claims, and we were living under a regime antithetical to democratic principles, he would not have been able to make his comments on Monday.
“I will urge him to watch what he says and restrain himself from playing to the gallery.”
Obi, unarguably, say not a few people, is the face of opposition in Nigeria today.
