Human rights activist, Deji Adeyanju, has explained why he would prefer President Bola Tinubu to Peter Obi if both men were to contest against each other in the 2027 elections.
Adeyanju, who spoke during an interview on Channels Television on Friday, said his position was not out of loyalty to the ruling All Progressives Congress, but a reflection of his personal convictions about democracy, tolerance, and political conduct.
“Why would somebody like me support the APC? Support the APC for what? If the opposition presents Peter Obi, I will vote Tinubu.
“This is because we cannot have a situation where, a man whose supporters cannot tolerate criticism, call people all sorts of names.
“Anybody who does not support their candidate is an enemy of Nigeria. Anybody that does not support the candidate has been paid, has been compromised in supporting the government.”
The activist rejected claims that he was working with the APC to weaken the opposition, insisting that his political interventions had always been consistent and independent.
He recalled that in previous elections he had voted for different candidates across party lines, based on what he described as his personal judgment of their suitability.
“I have never voted for a bad candidate in my view. In 1999, I voted for Obasanjo. In 2011, I voted for Goodluck Jonathan. In 2015, I voted for Jonathan again because I couldn’t support Buhari, and in 2023, I voted for Omoyele Sowore,” Adeyanju said.
According to him, his decision to oppose Obi stems largely from his experience with the behaviour of some of Obi’s supporters during the last election.
He alleged that many of them 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.
He further argued that his activism over the years had been about defending democracy and free expression, even at personal cost. He noted that he had faced multiple arrests in the past under different administrations because of his advocacy.
“We have put our lives on the line for this country, for the preservation of democracy, at personal expense of prosecution. What kind of charges have we not faced in this country? At the time, I was almost charged with terrorism. They’ve charged me for all kinds of offences in this country,” he said.
He added that his decision to take a firm stance against Obi should not be mistaken for partisanship, emphasising that he remained committed to issue-based politics.
According to him, he is just expressing his views as a Nigerian. He noted that his opposition to Obi does not mean support for APC.
“Because we cannot have a situation in our country or in our polity where political extremism becomes the order of the day. And Nigerians are living witnesses to the things that eventually happened to the build-up of the last election,” he said.
