The Presidency has lashed out at the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections, Peter Obi.

In a post on his verified X handle on Wednesday, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described Obi as a copy-and-paste politician who cannot compete with Tinubu.

Onanuga claimed that Obi has nothing to showcase as Anambra governor for eight years.

He said, in contrast with Tinubu as Lagos State governor, he left a rail and road masterplan as governor, which is still being executed to this day.

“Peter Obi has never shown original, authentic thinking. He is a copy-and-paste politician. Willie Obiano, his successor, said Obi failed spectacularly in providing security in the state.

“Nigeria deserves a leader who can see beyond the ken of the ordinary people, a leader who is a proven deep thinker and doer.

“Peter Obi is no match for President Bola Tinubu. They are not on the same level,” he said.

The Spiritual Director of Adoration Ministry Enugu, Nigeria, AMEN, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, has claimed that former president, Goodluck Jonathan, was defeated in the 2015 election because he failed to yield to advice.

Mbaka said he advised the former president to remove the then Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Attahiru Jega, but his advice was not taken seriously.

The cleric, who spoke in a viral video while clarifying his earlier statement that the insecurity ravaging the country has political undertone.

DAILY POST reports that the cleric had claimed that the security crisis was orchestrated by some unscrupulous politicians to remove President Bola Tinubu, as they did to Jonathan.

His comment, however, generated a backlash on social media with netizens linking Mbaka to why Jonathan lost his re-election bid in 2015.

However, in the new video, Mbaka claimed that Jonathan’s failure was due to his miscalculation, stating that the former president disobeyed the “advice of a man of God”.

“Forget about what they are saying on social media, former President Goodluck Jonathan was my friend; the case is different.

“Jonathan didn’t fail because I failed him; he decided to fail. I told him what to do to win the election, but he refused.

“He failed because he disobeyed the advice of a man of God. I told him to remove Jega, that Jega had already betrayed him but he refused to remove Jega”, he said.

The member representing Somolu Constituency II in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr Samuel Apata, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the controversy surrounding the outcome of the All Progressives Congress, APC, primary election, insisting that he was denied the party’s return ticket despite emerging victorious at the poll.

Speaking during an interview in Lagos on Wednesday, Apata maintained that he won the primary election by a significant margin but was not recognised as the party’s candidate for the 2027 election.

The lawmaker expressed confidence that President Tinubu would ensure justice prevailed, describing himself as a loyal APC member who remains committed to the party’s ideals and principles.

According to him, the outcome announced after the primary did not reflect the votes cast by party members during the exercise.

“I contested for the second-term ticket and won convincingly with 9,081 votes. It is unfortunate that someone who came a distant third, with only 677 votes, was eventually declared the candidate.

“I believe in party supremacy and due process. Personally, I am grateful to President Bola Tinubu for providing us with this APC platform but I want my second-term ticket.

“President Tinubu is a man of justice, and I am confident that he will look into this matter and ensure that the right thing is done,” he said.

Apata recalled his long-standing involvement in politics, noting that he had previously contested twice for the chairmanship position of Bariga Local Council Development Area and had also sought election into the Lagos State House of Assembly on two occasions before eventually securing victory in 2023.

Highlighting his achievements in office, the lawmaker said he had facilitated several developmental projects in Bariga, including the rehabilitation of Ariyo and Grace streets, as well as the construction and renovation of six schools within the constituency.

He stated that his experience in the legislature over the past three years had enhanced his capacity to serve the people more effectively and positioned him to deliver greater dividends of representation if given another mandate.

Apata reiterated his commitment to the APC and pledged continued support for the administration of President Tinubu, while expressing hope that the issues arising from the party’s primary election would be resolved in line with justice and fairness.