Rufai defends Obi over resignation call on Tinubu, says did worst

By Jude Opara

Arise News anchor Rufai Oseni has challenged the ruling APC’s criticism of opposition figure Peter Obi, arguing that the party is applying a different standard to actions it once embraced while in opposition.
The media personality made the remarks while reacting to the exchange between Obi and presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga over calls for President Bola Tinubu to resign.
The controversy began after Obi urged Tinubu to follow the example of Keir Starmer by stepping down over what he described as the government’s inability to effectively address Nigeria’s economic and security challenges.
In response, Onanuga dismissed Obi’s position, describing it as childish and lacking seriousness.
However, Rufai argued that similar and even more confrontational demands were made by the APC when it was in opposition before the 2015 general election. According to him, the party had openly criticized the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan and called for his resignation over governance concerns.
The broadcaster further recalled debates surrounding suggestions by some APC figures before the 2015 election that a parallel government could emerge if the party was denied victory at the polls, a position he described as far more controversial than a call for a sitting president to resign.
Rufai maintained that the current administration should be prepared to face the same level of scrutiny and criticism that APC leaders directed at previous governments when they occupied opposition benches.
His comments have added to the growing political debate over accountability, opposition rhetoric and whether governing parties should be judged by the standards they advocated before assuming power.