Human rights activist, Deji Adeyanju, has declared that he would rather vote for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu than support former Anambra governor, Peter Obi, if the latter emerges as the presidential candidate of the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition in 2027.
Adeyanju made the controversial remark on Friday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Morning Brief, where he was asked whether his recent criticisms of Obi amounted to attempts at discrediting the Labour Party’s 2023 flagbearer.
“God forbid that I support APC. If the opposition presents Peter Obi, I will vote for Tinubu,” Adeyanju said bluntly.
The activist and Obi have been locked in a heated feud that has spilled into the courts. Obi, through his legal team, has threatened to sue Adeyanju for alleged defamation over comments made in media interviews and on social platforms. But Adeyanju dismissed the legal threat, insisting he was eager to face the former governor in court.
He accused Obi of enabling what he described as a toxic political culture, pointing to the aggressive behaviour of some of his online supporters popularly known as “Obidients.”
“We cannot have a man who leads a mob that terrorises people online and cannot tolerate criticism, who calls people all sorts of names,” Adeyanju said. “Anybody who cannot support their candidate is seen as an enemy of Nigeria or has been paid to do so. That is not democracy.”
Read also:
- Peter Obi drags Deji Adeyanju to court over defamatory remarks
- Peter Obi drags Deji Adeyanju to court over defamatory remarks
- Deji Adeyanju slams EFCC over withholding of VeryDarkMan’s Car, Phone after bail
The activist also questioned Obi’s democratic credentials, claiming the ex-governor had not made any meaningful sacrifice for Nigeria’s democratic survival.
“What sacrifices has he made for democracy? Many of us have put our lives on the line at great personal cost. We must sanitise our polity. We cannot have a country where people who terrorise others online dictate the tone of political discourse,” he argued.
Adeyanju went further to defend his voting record, stressing that he had always backed what he considered “credible candidates.”
“In my opinion, I have never voted for a bad candidate. In 1999, I voted for Olusegun Obasanjo. In 2011, I voted for Goodluck Jonathan. In 2015, I voted for Jonathan again, against the so-called lovers of democracy who wanted Muhammadu Buhari,” he said.
