Human rights activist, Deji Adeyanju, has said he would prefer President Bola Tinubu to Peter Obi if both men contest in the 2027 presidential election.
Adeyanju stated this on Friday during an interview on Channels Television, insisting that his preference had nothing to do with loyalty to the ruling All Progressives Congress, but was based on his 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,” Adeyanju declared.
“This is because we cannot have a situation where a man’s supporters cannot tolerate criticism and call people all sorts of names.”
He alleged that many of Obi’s supporters intimidated dissenting voices during the last election cycle, which he described as unhealthy for Nigeria’s democracy.
“Anybody who does not support their candidate is an enemy of Nigeria. Anybody that does not support the candidate has been paid or compromised,” he added.
Adeyanju dismissed suggestions that he was working with the APC to weaken opposition parties. According to him, his voting history showed consistency in independent judgment.
“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. In 2023, I voted for Omoyele Sowore,” he explained.
The activist said he initially found Obi’s presidential bid exciting, especially as it offered the South-East a shot at producing Nigeria’s president. But he said his enthusiasm faded when some supporters became intolerant of opposing opinions.
“The idea of Obi’s candidacy excited me because the South-East has not produced a president since independence,” he said. “But I couldn’t reconcile with some of the things I observed in the movement.”
He also cited the online backlash against actress Joke Silva for supporting Tinubu as an example of what he called “political extremism.”
“Look at what they did to Joke Silva during the election. They terrorised that woman simply because she decided to support Tinubu. People have the right; I have the right,” he insisted.
Adeyanju stressed that his activism had always been about defending democracy and free expression, noting that he had faced arrests and prosecutions under different governments.
“We have put our lives on the line for this country, for the preservation of democracy. At one time, I was almost charged with terrorism. They’ve charged me with all kinds of offences in this country,” he recalled.
He concluded by clarifying that rejecting Obi’s candidacy did not equate to an endorsement of the APC. “Because we cannot have a situation in our country where political extremism becomes the order of the day,” he said.