The Presidency has dismissed Peter Obi’s renewed claim that he was rigged out of the 2023 presidential election, with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, urging the opposition leader to accept the outcome of the poll and “stop dreaming of a victory that you never had.” The remarks followed Obi’s recent interview on Channels Television, where he maintained that the election did not reflect the will of the Nigerian people.

Reacting in a statement posted on his verified X account, Onanuga argued that the Supreme Court had already settled the legal dispute over the election and said Obi should move on rather than continue insisting that he won the presidential contest. He maintained that Obi finished third in the election and described his continued claims of victory as a refusal to accept judicial decisions.

Onanuga also criticised Obi’s political career, rejecting the former Anambra State governor’s comparison of his movement across political parties with President Tinubu’s political trajectory. According to the presidential aide, Tinubu remained within the progressive political tradition despite changes in party platforms, whereas he accused Obi of repeatedly moving between parties to advance his political ambitions.

During the interview, Obi reiterated his long-held position that the 2023 presidential election was flawed and called for comprehensive electoral reforms to ensure that future elections are transparent, free and credible. He maintained that his comments were aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s democratic process rather than reopening legal proceedings that have already been concluded.

The exchange is the latest in a series of public disagreements between the Presidency and the opposition as political activities gather momentum ahead of the 2027 general elections. It also reflects continuing divisions over the conduct and outcome of the 2023 presidential election, despite the conclusion of the judicial process.