Human rights activist, Deji Adeyanju, has said he would prefer President Bola Tinubu to Labour Party’s Peter Obi if the two were to face off in the 2027 presidential election.
Adeyanju made the remark during an interview on Channels Television on Friday, stressing that his stance was not driven by loyalty to the All Progressives Congress (APC), but by his convictions about democracy, tolerance, and political conduct in Nigeria.
“Why would somebody like me support the APC? Support the APC for what?” he asked rhetorically. “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 calls people all sorts of names.”
According to Adeyanju, Obi’s supporters during the last election often resorted to online harassment and intimidation of those who held dissenting views. He cited the treatment of veteran actress Joke Silva, who was attacked online after declaring support for Tinubu, as an example of political intolerance he could not support.
“People have the right to their opinions. Look at what they did to Joke Silva during the election. Nobody terrorised Nollywood stars who supported Obi, but they went after her because she supported Tinubu,” he said.
The activist dismissed claims that he was working with the APC to undermine the opposition, insisting that his political choices had always been independent and issue-based. He recalled supporting different candidates across party lines in the past.
“I have never voted for a bad candidate in my view. In 1999, I voted for Obasanjo. In 2011 and 2015, I voted for Jonathan. In 2023, I voted for Omoyele Sowore,” he stated.
Adeyanju acknowledged that he was initially intrigued by Obi’s candidacy because it represented a chance for the South-East to produce a president for the first time since independence. However, he said his excitement diminished as he observed what he described as the “toxic” conduct of Obi’s supporters.
“The idea of Obi’s candidacy excited me, but we cannot sanitise our polity by embracing political extremism,” he said.
Adeyanju also pointed to his long history of activism, recalling how he had been arrested and prosecuted under successive governments because of his advocacy for democracy and human rights. He maintained that his stance against Obi should not be misinterpreted as blind support for Tinubu or the APC.
“We have put our lives on the line for this country, for the preservation of democracy, at personal cost. At a time, I was almost charged with terrorism. They’ve charged me for all kinds of offences in this country,” he said.
He concluded by urging opposition politicians to unite if they hope to successfully challenge the APC in 2027, warning that a fragmented opposition would always play to the ruling party’s advantage.
