Human rights activist and lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, has said he would prefer President Bola Tinubu to Peter Obi in the 2027 general elections, saying that his decision to oppose Obi stems largely from his experience with the behaviour of some of Obi’s supporters during the last election.
Speaking on Channels TV’s The Morning Brief on Friday, Adeyanju stated that his choice was not of loyalty to the All Progressive Congress (APC) but a reflection of his personal convictions about democracy, tolerance, and political conduct.
He dismissed claims that he was working with the APC to weaken the opposition, insisting that his political interventions had always been consistent and independent.
The activist alleged that many of Obi’s supporters resorted to online attacks and intimidation of those with dissenting views.
“What we are saying is that we must sanitise our polity, that we cannot have a country where people who terrorise others who do not appreciate that people have their rights. Look at what they did to Joke Silva during the election. They had artists and Nollywood people supporting them. Nobody terrorised those people. But they terrorised that woman, and other people, because she decided to support Tinubu in the last election. People have the right, I have the right.”
Adeyanju stressed that opposition politics in Nigeria could only succeed if there was unity among the major players, warning that a divided front would always favour the APC.
He recalled that he initially found Obi’s candidacy “exciting,” particularly as it represented a chance for the South-East to aspire to the presidency. However, he said his enthusiasm waned as the campaign progressed.
“The idea of Obi’s candidacy excited me because the South-East has not produced a president since independence,” he said.
Adeyanju noted however, that he couldn’t reconcile with some of the things he observed in the movement.
