The Presidency and the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress in the 2027 election, Peter Obi, on Wednesday traded words over the former Anambra State governor’s claim that he could be killed before the next general election.
Obi had alleged that the Federal Government was frustrating his activities and targeting opposition figures, saying he was no longer certain he would be alive to contest the 2027 presidential election.
Speaking during an interview on With Chude, hosted by media personality Chude Jideonwo, Obi said the challenges confronting him had become increasingly intense.
“I might not even be alive. Every single thing I do for a living, this government is frustrating. Deliberately so. If they have the opportunity, I will not be alive,” he said.
The former governor, however, said he was not directly accusing any individual of plotting against him but maintained that there were deliberate efforts to obstruct his activities.
According to him, opposition politicians are being systematically targeted, alleging that he had repeatedly been denied privileges he was entitled to.
Obi cited an incident at an airport where, according to him, officials locked his vehicle while leaving others untouched.
He also claimed that some Nigerians had become reluctant to associate publicly with him for fear of victimisation, adding that some supporters had even advised him not to attend their family events.
However, the Presidency dismissed the allegations, describing them as false, baseless and politically motivated.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described Obi as a “pathological and serial liar” who was attempting to draw public sympathy with what he called fabricated claims.
Onanuga said Obi’s assertion that he might not be alive before the 2027 election and his allegation that people were being discouraged from inviting him to social functions lacked credible evidence.
He said, “As a pathological and serial liar, Mr Obi is intent on dragging the government into every personal inconvenience he encounters, often resorting to exaggeration and baseless allegations.
“His claim that he may not be alive for the January 2027 election and that people are being pressured not to invite him to social events is nothing more than a fabricated narrative, a page from his book of lies and propaganda.”
The presidential spokesman also dismissed suggestions that the Federal Government was targeting Fidelity Bank, where Obi is believed to have a substantial interest.
According to him, the bank continues to perform strongly under the current administration’s economic reforms, insisting that the government had no reason to undermine the financial institution.
Onanuga added that President Bola Tinubu’s administration remained focused on implementing economic reforms and improving citizens’ welfare rather than engaging in political distractions.
He said the government had neither the time nor the inclination to interfere with Obi or his political activities.
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