A former presidential aspirant and ex-Senatorial candidate, Godswill Nwankwo, has criticised the Presidency’s response to Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate for the 2027 election, Peter Obi’s call for President Bola Tinubu to resign. He accused the administration of applying inconsistent standards to similar political situations while failing to adequately address concerns over worsening security and economic conditions in the country.
Nwankwo, a member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the “Obidient Ninjas” and a member of the NDC, made the remarks in an open letter to President Tinubu dated June 23, 2026. The letter came in response to comments by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who had described Obi’s resignation call as “childish,” “hollow,” and a distraction.
In the letter, Nwankwo argued that the Presidency focused on statistics, achievements, and infrastructure projects while ignoring what he described as the central issue: whether Nigerians are better off now than they were at the start of the administration in May 2023.
He also drew parallels with President Tinubu’s stance as an opposition figure in 2014, when he called for then-President Goodluck Jonathan’s resignation over the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls and the Boko Haram insurgency. Nwankwo noted that at the time, Tinubu did not question whether such a demand was appropriate within a presidential system.
According to him, democratic principles should remain consistent regardless of political context, and calls for resignation should not be dismissed simply because of a change in political circumstances.
Nwankwo further referenced comments by Presidential Adviser Daniel Bwala, who acknowledged Tinubu’s past criticism of the Jonathan administration while questioning the differing reactions to Obi’s recent statement.
He also challenged the Presidency’s reliance on electoral victories as proof of public approval, arguing that low voter turnout undermines such claims of widespread support.
On the economy, he disputed assertions of progress under the current administration, citing rising poverty, inflation, naira depreciation, and declining foreign direct investment as evidence of worsening hardship. While acknowledging an increase in portfolio inflows, he argued that long-term productive investment had weakened.
Using a metaphor, he said the naira’s stability was “like a patient stable after losing two-thirds of his blood.”
Nwankwo also questioned official crude oil production figures, alleging that condensate production was being merged with crude output to present more favourable statistics.
He criticised several government initiatives, including the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway and the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), raising concerns about procurement transparency and the adequacy of student loan support amid rising living costs.
On security, he pointed to reports of continued killings and kidnappings nationwide, stressing that the Constitution places responsibility for protecting lives and property on the Federal Government.
He rejected claims that Nigeria’s challenges were mainly caused by external factors, arguing instead that many of the country’s problems stemmed from domestic policy decisions taken early in the current administration.
Invoking Section 14 of the 1999 Constitution, Nwankwo maintained that citizens have the right to hold leaders accountable when government performance falls short of constitutional expectations.
He concluded by defending public criticism as a legitimate democratic right, urging the government to engage with citizens’ concerns rather than dismiss dissenting views. He added that many Nigerians believe the administration has failed in key areas such as security, the economy, and welfare delivery, noting that citizens are directly experiencing the hardship being debated.