The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has accused the 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, of making false claims about the religious composition of his cabinet while serving as Governor of Anambra State.
The controversy followed Obi’s appearance on Politics Today on Channels Television, where he responded to concerns over whether northern Nigerians could trust him to protect their interests if elected president.
Defending his record on inclusiveness and national unity, Obi claimed that all the commissioners who served under his administration in Anambra State were Muslims.
“All the Commissioners that served with me for eight years when I was in office were Muslims,” Obi said.
However, reacting in a post on his X handle on Monday, Onanuga dismissed the claim as false, accusing the former Anambra governor of attempting to court northern Muslim voters through misinformation.
“Obi caught red-handed lying about the religion of his commissioners. The man from Agulu wants to pander to northern Muslims and lie his way to office. Shameless liar,” Onanuga wrote.
The exchange has added another layer to the growing political debate ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with key political figures increasingly scrutinising the records and public statements of leading contenders.
Meanwhile, chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dele Momodu, has suggested that former President Olusegun Obasanjo may not be backing the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, ahead of the 2027 elections.
Speaking during an interview on News Central TV on Monday, Momodu said emerging political signals indicated that Obasanjo could instead be favourably disposed towards supporting Peter Obi.
According to the veteran journalist, available information suggests that the former president may be considering a Peter Obi-Rabiu Kwankwaso presidential ticket.
Momodu also addressed the long-standing political relationship between Obasanjo and Atiku, noting that the outcome of the 2027 presidential election would ultimately depend more on Nigerians’ assessment of the performance of the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government than on disagreements within the opposition.
He maintained that the electorate’s verdict on the current administration would play a more decisive role in shaping the country’s political future than the internal dynamics of opposition parties.