The Big Tent Coalition, led by Prof. Pat Utomi, has criticized the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) for demanding that Peter Obi withdraw from the 2027 presidential race. The demand is based on a claim of $123.77 million in external loans, which Big Tent describes as spurious and discredited. According to the coalition, this move is a desperate attempt by the ruling party to deflect attention from its own failures.
The APC Presidential Campaign Council, through its spokesman, Dele Alake, relied on accusations released by the Anambra State Government under Governor Chukwuma Soludo. Big Tent described these accusations as falsehoods, deception, and cover-ups, which have been the stock-in-trade of the administration of President Bola Tinubu. The coalition pointed out that Tinubu's personal biography is shrouded in discrepancies and deliberate opacity.
The coalition recalled that President Tinubu had publicly pledged that Nigerians should not vote for him for a second term if he failed to deliver uninterrupted electricity supply. However, power generation and distribution are worse than when he assumed office in 2023. Big Tent stated that by Tinubu's own standard, the question is not why Peter Obi should remain in the race, but why Bola Tinubu is still contesting in 2027.
According to Big Tent, the external loans attributed to Obi's administration between 2006 and 2014 are a misrepresentation of verifiable facts. The coalition provided details on the Nigeria Malaria Control Booster Project (MCBP) 2007, which was financed through a $180 million IDA credit from the World Bank to the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Anambra was one of seven participating states, and the Federal Government was the borrower, not Anambra State.
The Fadama III project was another World Bank/IDA-financed national project in which Anambra participated as one of the states. The coalition emphasized that the Federal Government, not Anambra State, was responsible for borrowing funds for these projects. Big Tent accused the APC of manufacturing scandals instead of showcasing accomplishments.
The coalition highlighted the failures of the Tinubu administration, citing declining education standards, buckling healthcare systems, deepening poverty, soaring unemployment, and increasing insecurity. These issues have become the daily reality of millions of Nigerians since the administration took office in 2023.
Big Tent's Director of Media and Communications, Charles Odibo, stated that the APC's actions confirm what many Nigerians already know – that the ruling party resorts to falsehoods, deflection, and character assassination when confronted with its own record of failure. The coalition urged Tinubu to quit the 2027 presidential race, citing his administration's failures.
Key points
- The Big Tent Coalition criticizes APC for demanding Peter Obi's withdrawal from 2027 presidential race.
- The coalition highlights the failures of the Tinubu administration, including declining education standards and deepening poverty.
- Big Tent provides details on the external loans attributed to Obi's administration, describing them as a misrepresentation of verifiable facts.
