Opposition leaders are free to create alliances since they do not represent a threat to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), according to Bayo Onanuga, President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy.
During an interview on Thursday, July 10, 2025, on Arise Television’s “Prime Time,” Onanuga reportedly stated this.
Onanuga said that Tinubu’s accomplishments will speak for him in the upcoming elections, stressing that his principal cannot be defeated by former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi or Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2023.
“They are jumping the gun; it is not yet time for politicking,” said Tinubu’s adviser, who also criticized the coalition.
They can create alliances, he continued, but from the perspective of the APC, they pose no threat. When Peter Obi and Atiku are combined, they will be unable to defeat a Bola Tinubu and Shettima ticket. That is not going to be feasible.
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Meanwhile, the administration has claimed that President Bola Tinubu played a key role in the election of Muhammadu Buhari as Nigeria’s president in 2015, blaming former President Goodluck Jonathan’s loss on his inability to obtain the South-West region’s vital support.
The assertion was reportedly made on Thursday by Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, through his official 𝕏 (formerly Twitter) account, in which he described Tinubu’s contribution to the All Progressives Congress’ (APC) 2015 victory.
Any discussion regarding President Tinubu’s political influence, in Onanuga’s opinion, must start with an appreciation of his strategic role in Buhari’s historic victory.
He stated, “Buhari defeated formidable opponents like Atiku Abubakar and Rabiu Kwankwaso to secure the APC presidential ticket thanks to Tinubu’s efforts.” He provided Buhari with geographic reach and more votes from the South-West, which was more important than anything else.
Onanuga emphasized that Buhari had received support in the North for a long time and had routinely received about 12 million votes in prior elections. But the decisive factor in 2015 was Tinubu’s capacity to unite the South-West.
