Oshiomhole Questions Obi's Ability to Challenge Tinubu

Senator Adams Oshiomhole, who represents Edo North, has called Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress for 2027, a trader. He doubts Obi’s economic policies and whether he can provide a real alternative to President Bola Tinubu’s government.

Oshiomhole, a former governor of Edo State and member of the All Progressives Congress, shared his thoughts on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.

He claimed Obi’s leadership style focuses on short-term gains instead of long-term growth for the country.

“Peter Obi has not offered any alternative. I think it is you or someone else who asked him for security, what will you do differently? He said, it’s in his heart.

“I have always said that Peter Obi is a trader. The logic of a trader is short-term turnover,” he said.

Leadership Comparisons

Oshiomhole compared Obi’s leadership to Tinubu’s, saying a true leader should think about future generations and establish institutions that will benefit them.

He raised concerns about whether Obi would keep the policies set by Tinubu’s government, especially the student loan scheme. He also wondered if Obi would bring back the multiple exchange rate system if he became president.

“Will you abolish the student loan scheme? You think President Tinubu will have introduced a student loan if he thought every Nigerian parent can afford it? Will the new people come who are looking for the job, would they abolish it?” he asked.

Oshiomhole also challenged Obi’s views on removing the fuel subsidy, saying Obi has made confusing statements about this policy.

He remembered that Obi once supported removing the subsidy but later seemed to disagree with former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, who wanted to bring it back.

“Then you look at the contradiction within one month. Atiku said he will restore it. Obi said no, he will not. Then when he had this agreement with his running mate, he said, ‘Okay, he and Atiku, they are more or less saying the same thing.’ You can’t pin him to anything,” Oshiomhole said.

Courage in Leadership

Oshiomhole believes that good leadership means politicians must tell citizens the hard truth about policy choices, even if those choices lead to temporary difficulties.

“The most important thing about leadership is being courageous enough to tell your followers, your countrymen and women, the truth. However bitter that truth is,” he said.

He also accused Obi of not paying taxes in Nigeria, claiming the former governor has large amounts of money in tax havens where he does not pay taxes.

“Do you know that Peter Obi has not paid tax in Nigeria? He kept his money in a tax haven,” he said.

Oshiomhole added that Obi has even acknowledged this issue, insisting that his claims are not baseless.

“And he has admitted to this, you know, he admitted it,” Oshiomhole added.

Obi served as governor of Anambra State from 2006 to 2014. He was the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, where he came third behind Tinubu and Atiku. He later joined the Nigeria Democratic Congress and became the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election in May 2026.