Peter Obi Will Not Defeat Tinubu in Lagos Again – Presidency

The presidency has dismissed the political threat of the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, declaring that he will not repeat his past electoral victory over President Bola Tinubu in Lagos State.

This assertion was made by Sunday Dare, the Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Media and Public Communications, during a recent interview on Mic On Podcast with Seun Okinbaloye.

When asked whether the former Anambra State governor poses a challenge to the current administration, Dare rejected the notion that Obi is a nightmare for the government, suggesting instead that he has become a nuisance.

Explaining, Dare stated, “He is not a nightmare. Maybe before, Peter Obi was a threat, but right now, Peter Obi is no threat because we stand on solid ground of performance. We are able to interrogate the problems of this country.”

The interviewer reminded the presidential aide of the 2023 election results, where Obi pulled off a major upset by defeating Tinubu in Lagos State—a region widely considered to be the president’s primary political fortress.

In the election, official figures from the Independent National Electoral Commission showed Obi secured 582,454 votes to edge out Tinubu, who garnered 572,606 votes. Despite losing his home base by a narrow margin of 9,848 votes, Tinubu ultimately won the national election with over 8.7 million votes to claim the presidency.

Responding to the reminder of Obi’s historic victory in Lagos, Dare dismissed its relevance to the current political climate.

“That was 2023, We’re talking about 2026,” Dare replied, firmly adding that “it can’t happen again.”