Rufai Oseni Fires Back at Onanuga Over Obi Criticism, Cites APC’s Past Calls for Jonathan’s Resignation

Arise News anchor and media personality, Rufai Oseni, has strongly criticised Bayo Onanuga, spokesperson to President Bola Tinubu, over his recent comments describing Peter Obi’s resignation call as “puerile”.

The exchange follows Peter Obi’s statement on Monday, where the former presidential candidate urged President Tinubu to consider resigning, drawing a comparison with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Obi cited worsening economic hardship and security challenges in Nigeria as reasons for his position.

In response, Bayo Onanuga dismissed Obi’s remarks as childish and politically irresponsible, a comment that has since triggered backlash from opposition voices and commentators.

Reacting during a live morning programme on Tuesday, Rufai Oseni pushed back against Onanuga’s description of Obi’s statement, accusing him of selective memory and political inconsistency.

Oseni referenced the All Progressives Congress’ pre-2015 political posture, arguing that the ruling party once made similar and even more extreme demands while in opposition.

He recalled that the APC had previously called for the resignation of then-President Goodluck Jonathan during periods of national crisis.

“Was the APC also childish when it called for the resignation of Goodluck Jonathan? What they said Jonathan should resign for has happened under them too,” he said.

Oseni further pointed to past political actions by the APC, including calls for a parallel government during the build-up to the 2015 elections, describing it as a far more radical position than Obi’s recent statement.

“This was the same APC that called for a parallel government if they didn’t win the 2015 election. Do you know what a parallel government is? That’s anarchy,” he added.

He argued that the current criticism of Obi appears inconsistent with the APC’s own political history, especially when it was in opposition.

The remarks highlight ongoing tensions in Nigeria’s political discourse, where opposition statements and government responses continue to spark heated exchanges across media platforms.