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Presidency: Obi’s Supporters Sponsoring Planned Protests
The Presidency on Saturday accused the supporters of the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 poll, Mr Peter Obi, as being the sponsors of the planned nationwide protests against the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
It therefore urged nation’s security agencies to interrogate the “agents of destabilisation” behind the proposed demonstrations.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, in a long post on his verified X handle, @aonanuga1956, disclosed that the same individuals who hijacked the 2020 ENDSARS protests are behind the planned demonstrations, spreading hashtags like ‘EndBadGovernance’ and ‘Tinubu Must Go.’
The Special Adviser, who described the protests masterminds as “anarchists” and “bad losers” who cannot wait for the 2027 general elections, but seeking to destabilize Nigeria through a “civilian coup, also submitted that Obi, should be held responsible if the protests turn into anarchy.
Onanuga further identified some key individuals including a faceless internet radio station owner and a Labour Party chief, as being involved in the planned protests.
He warned that the protesters’ calls for “revolution” and “ending an elected government” amount to high treason and urged security agencies to take action against those threatening the country’s stability.
The post entitled “REVEALED: Peter Obi’s supporters are the people planning mayhem in Nigeria: Obi should be held responsible for anarchy”, recalled how a similar call for protest in 2020 was hijacked by other elements, leaving the nation’s economic nerve centre, Lagos State, reeling in massive destruction and looting of public and private property.
Onanuga in the post stated, inter alia: “Don’t be fooled: the malcontents planning to stage nationwide protests are supporters of Peter Obi, the failed presidential candidate of the Labour Party. And he should be held responsible for whatever crisis emanates from the action.
“The protest planners are also the same people who were instigated by IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu to launch the destructive ENDSARS protest in Nigeria in October 2020. ENDSARS began as a genuine protest by youths against the Police Special Anti-Robbery Squad, notorious for its high-handedness.
“IPOB members planning to extricate the South East region from Nigeria infiltrated the protest and hijacked it for their own agenda. Lagos still bears the scar of the malicious destruction by IPOB elements until today.
“Two years after ENDSARS, the IPOB and the gullible innocents joined the Labour Party in 2022 to support Peter Obi, a sympathiser of their cause.
“They are the people spreading the hashtags ‘EndBadGovernance’, ‘Tinubu Must Go,’ and ‘Revolution2024’. They are not democrats but anarchists. They are attempting to call out our people via propaganda because their Messiah, Peter Obi, failed to win the Presidency in the 2023 election.
“As bad losers, they don’t have the patience to wait for another election in 2027; they would rather destabilise Nigeria by staging a civilian coup against President Bola Tinubu.
“If they understand the meaning of their hashtags, they will realise they are clarion calls for treason. Wanting to end an elected government is high treason. Wanting revolution is a call for a coup d’etat, which is also high treason.
“I have been on the trail of one of the protest planners, who is nameless but claims to have an internet radio station, PTM100.88 Abuja. The anonymous person joined X in August 2022 and has 520 followers today, among whom are FS Yusuf, another rabid Obi supporter, and Professor Pat Utomi, a Labour Party chief and a guy on X who goes by the pseudonym Peter Obi’s First Son. PTM’s profile image has someone holding the inscription` Certificate Forger Not My President, ‘ with a photo of Peter Obi as an inset. Only Obi’s supporters will be talking about certificate forgery long after the Supreme Court dismissed the allegation.
“In the past 24 hours, this faceless X user has been whipping up the gullible to join the protest being planned and also posting the activities of his Messiah, Peter Obi. He retweets Peter Obi often. In one of the posts, a video shows a teenager, who is said to be in the North, printing T-shirts emblazoned with “EndBadGovernance in Nigeria 2024′.
“There is also a retweeted post by Babatunde Gbadamosi, a failed and frustrated politician in Lagos. In it, he refers to his earlier post urging people “ to identify APC members, sponsors, supporters, enablers, thugs, promoters, and appointees.” The police and DSS ought to have arrested the man for making a brazen threat to political opponents”.
The presidential Adviser stressed that every country faces economic challenges, but civilized nations address leadership concerns through elections, not violent protests.
He also listed federal government’s efforts to address the cost of living crisis, including over 100% increase in minimum wage, student loans, and palliatives such as food distribution.
Onanuga also highlighted improvements in the economy, including reduced inflation, increased revenue generation, and a booming stock market.
He was however quick to advise Nigerians to consider these on-going government’s efforts before joining the protests, and warned that those calling for demonstrations should wait until the 2027 elections to effect leadership change.
His words: “Security agents should, by now, begin to interrogate these agents of destabilisation. There is no country in the world where people are not going through some economic challenges and where the cost of living is not a major issue.
“No country is immune from economic turbulence at the moment. Civilised and democratic people wait for another election to make leadership changes. They don’t trigger mayhem in their countries by staging protests, the end of which nobody can predict.
“Nigerian citizens must consider the government’s attitude and concern about the cost of living crisis when deciding whether to join the protests by the Labour Party and IPOB supporters.
“The Tinubu government has not been found wanting in this regard. The minimum wage has been increased by more than 100 percent. Loans are being disbursed to students in tertiary schools.
“A credit corporation has been launched to promote consumption credit. Palliatives, including the latest distribution of 740 trucks of rice to the 36 states and Abuja, are being rolled out. Businesses, such as pharmaceuticals, are being assisted. The Federal and state governments are investing heavily in agriculture to produce more food.
“The economy is improving, inflation is slowing, the national debt has been reduced in dollar terms, and the FIRS has increased revenue generation to record levels. Investors are coming back to our country. Our stock market is the best in the world, with a 33 percent return on investment.
“President Tinubu has a four-year mandate to run his agenda. Those calling for protest should wait till 2027 to either re-elect him or elect their Messiah, Mr Peter Obi”.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Abubakar Salim Musa (known as @AM_Saleeeem on X), a prominent critic of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Atiku’s statement characterized the arrest as part of a “growing crackdown on dissent” and warned that such repression threatens Nigeria’s democratic future as the nation approaches a critical general election period.
Atiku made the call in a statement issued on Monday, following a report by Amnesty International Nigeria on the arrest of the young Nigerian on Sunday, January 11, 2026.
“This case is yet another stark example of the repressive nature of the President Bola Tinubu administration, which continues to bare its fangs against dissent, whether expressed through public protests or online criticism,” Atiku said.
According to him, Musa’s only offence was his persistent criticism of the worsening security situation in Northern Nigeria and across the country.
“Abubakar’s only ‘offense’ was his consistent and legitimate criticism of the deteriorating security situation in Northern Nigeria and across the country,” he stated.
Rather than engage with the concerns raised, Atiku said the government resorted to intimidation and prosecution.
“Instead of addressing these serious concerns, the government’s response has been to arrest him and subject him to what Amnesty International rightly describes as ‘bogus charges and a sham trial,” he added.
The former vice president stressed that Musa’s arrest was not an isolated incident, noting that several Nigerians had suffered similar treatment for expressing dissent.
“Numerous Nigerians, including journalists, schoolchildren, entertainers and even NYSC members, have faced arrest, assault and intimidation simply for criticising the President or members of his family,” Atiku said.
He warned that such actions pose a grave threat to Nigeria’s democratic foundations.
“This dangerous trend undermines the very foundations of democracy, which rest on the protection of fundamental human rights and freedom of expression,” he said.
Atiku further argued that Nigeria’s democratic credentials were being eroded by the continued repression of critics.
“Nigeria cannot claim to be part of the free world while its citizens are routinely arrested, assaulted and intimidated for voicing criticism of their government,” he stated.
With general elections approaching, Atiku cautioned against an atmosphere of fear and repression.
“As the nation approaches a critical general election, neither the people nor the opposition can operate effectively in an atmosphere of fear and repression,” he warned.
He demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Musa and others detained for exercising their constitutional rights.
“I call on the Tinubu administration to immediately and unconditionally release Abubakar Salim Musa and all others detained for exercising their constitutional rights,” Atiku said.
He also urged the government to halt arbitrary arrests and intimidation, while calling on the international community to intervene.
“I urge the international community, particularly countries and organisations that champion democracy and human rights, to hold the Tinubu regime accountable and demand an end to these violations,” he said.
Atiku concluded by calling on Nigerians and civil society groups to resist any further erosion of civil liberties.
“I encourage fellow patriots, civil society groups and all Nigerians of conscience to join this demand and stand firmly against any further erosion of our freedoms,” he added.
A new video has emerged showing two men reportedly kidnapped by Boko Haram insurgents in Borno State, pleading for assistance to secure their release.
One of the captives, former Biu Local Government Area Chairman Hassan Biu Miringa, revealed that their abductors are demanding a $300,000 ransom.
Miringa said he and another individual were taken in December 2025 and have remained in the custody of the militants.
In the video shared by Zagazola Makama, Miringa introduced himself, saying: “I am Hassan Biu Miringa, former Chairman of Biu Local Government from 2020 to 2022. Four years after my tenure, we were kidnapped by the soldiers of Khilafa about two weeks ago. Alhamdulillah, we are still alive, but we urgently need help to save our lives.”
He added that negotiations with the kidnappers had been underway, with some preliminary agreements reportedly reached.
“We have engaged them on four separate occasions and reached an understanding. We appeal to our leaders, especially Borno State Deputy Governor Alhaji Usman Umar Kadafur, the National Assembly representative for Biu, Kwaya, and Shani Hon. Betera Aliyu, as well as our community leaders, to temper justice with mercy and assist us. We are their children and have been working together,” Miringa said.
He confirmed the ransom demand, explaining that each captive is expected to pay $150,000, totaling $300,000 for their freedom, and pleaded for urgent intervention to reunite with their families.
The video highlights ongoing concerns over kidnappings and insecurity in southern Borno State, which have persisted despite government efforts to curb insurgent activity in the region.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, on Saturday visited Port Harcourt City Local Government as part of his “thank you” visit across Rivers State.
Upon his arrival, a group of women displayed a symbolic gesture of loyalty by spreading their wrappers on the ground for his motorcade.
The women and supporters of the Minister were in a jubilant mode as Wike drove on the wrappers.
Wike has been going around local governments in the state to appreciate them for their support while reeling out moves ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In the course of his visits, the Minister had fired several salvos at political actors in the state, warning that their sudden support for President Bola Tinubu won’t secure them any ticket in 2027.
Wike also renewed rivalry with Governor Sim Fubara over the leadership control of the political space in the state.
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