By Our Correspondent
The political war of words between President Bola Tinubu’s camp and former Anambra State governor Peter Obi has intensified following a fresh exchange over Tinubu’s ongoing legal battle in the United States.
The latest controversy erupted after Obi criticised the Federal Government and President Tinubu over the president’s legal moves in the United States, particularly the ongoing court proceedings involving requests for records from American law-enforcement agencies.
Obi had questioned the decision to challenge efforts to obtain information relating to Tinubu, arguing that public officials should be prepared to face scrutiny over their past, especially when such questions concern matters of public interest.
Reacting to Obi’s comments, Tinubu’s aide on public engagement, Fredrick Nwabufo, dismissed the former presidential candidate’s criticism as misplaced and politically motivated.
Nwabufo argued that Obi should be cautious about attacking Tinubu over questions surrounding his past, insisting that allegations previously made against the president had been investigated and, according to him, found to be false and libellous.
But the presidential aide did not stop there.
In a sharp counterattack, Nwabufo turned the spotlight on Obi’s eight-year tenure as governor of Anambra State, accusing the former governor of having a record that was far from exemplary.
“Your past in Anambra was also inglorious,” Nwabufo declared, challenging Obi to account for his own record in office before passing judgment on the president.
The presidential aide alleged that Obi’s administration faced serious challenges, including insecurity, kidnappings, strikes, killings, religious tensions and inadequate infrastructure.
He further claimed that he personally witnessed some of the conditions in Anambra during Obi’s tenure, explaining that he was a university student in the state at the time.
Nwabufo therefore questioned what he described as Obi’s attempt to present himself as a political figure without controversy while consistently scrutinising the records of his opponents.
The exchange has added another layer to the increasingly heated political atmosphere ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, with supporters of both political camps trading accusations over their respective records in public office.
Obi, who came third in the 2023 presidential election and has remained a prominent opposition voice, has continued to criticise the Tinubu administration over governance, economic hardship and transparency.
Tinubu’s supporters, however, have increasingly responded by highlighting Obi’s record as Anambra governor and challenging him to subject his own political history to the same level of scrutiny he demands from the president.
The dispute over the United States court proceedings is particularly sensitive because the case has generated considerable public interest, with Nigerians closely following developments surrounding requests for information from US agencies.
For Obi’s supporters, the matter raises questions about transparency and accountability. For Tinubu’s camp, however, the president’s legal position should not automatically be interpreted as an admission of wrongdoing.
As the verbal battle continues, the latest exchange between Obi and Tinubu’s aide is another indication that the political contest ahead of 2027 is likely to be fiercely fought, with the personal histories, past records and public reputations of major political figures becoming central issues in the campaign.
With both camps unwilling to back down, Nigerians can expect more revelations, counter-allegations and heated exchanges as the country moves closer to another crucial electoral season.
