The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, has dismissed claims that the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, posed a political challenge to the incumbent President in th forthcoming 2027 election, insisting that the government remained focused on delivering on its promises to Nigerians.
Speaking during an interview on the MIC ON Podcast on Saturday hosted by broadcaster Seun Okinbaloye, Dare said the Tinubu administration was confident in its performance and policy direction ahead of the 2027 general election.
According to him, the government’s achievements have diminished any perceived political threat from the former Labour Party presidential candidate.
“This government is not afraid of Peter Obi. He is not a nightmare to our government. Maybe before, Peter Obi was a threat, but right now, he is no threat because we stand on the solid ground of performance,” Dare said.
He maintained that the administration had taken deliberate steps to understand Nigeria’s challenges and was implementing reforms designed to tackle them.
“We have been able to interrogate the problems of this country. Decisions are being taken, policies are being unfolded across the country, and we have a scorecard to show,” he added.
Dare also criticised Obi’s public engagements, arguing that many of his comments lacked coherence and failed to address issues directly.
“Peter Obi is not a nightmare. Maybe you replace nightmare with nuisance because if you see some of his reactions, they are very pedantic. Sometimes you wonder. You listen to some of his interviews, ask him a question, and he goes in a roundabout direction that does not make sense,” he said.
Looking ahead to the 2027 presidential election, Dare expressed confidence that Obi would not be able to replicate his 2023 electoral success in Lagos State, where he defeated Tinubu in the State during the presidential poll.
“Peter Obi defeated President Tinubu in Lagos in 2023. This is 2027; he can’t defeat Tinubu again in Lagos,” he declared.
