Yemi Obafemi
Human rights activist, Deji Adeyanju, has ruled out supporting Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, accusing him of leading an intolerant online mob that harasses critics and undermines democratic values.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Friday, Adeyanju said he could never support the All Progressives Congress (APC), but would still prefer President Bola Tinubu over Obi if both were options.
“God forbid that I support APC. If the opposition presents Peter Obi, I will vote for Tinubu,” he declared.
He accused Obi of leading a movement intolerant of dissent and hostile towards critics.
“We cannot have a man who leads a mob that terrorises people online and cannot tolerate criticism, who calls people all sorts of names. Anybody who cannot support their candidate is seen as an enemy of Nigeria or has been paid to do so. That is not democracy,” Adeyanju argued.
The activist stressed that democracy requires sacrifices, claiming Obi has not demonstrated such.
“What sacrifices has he made for democracy? Many of us have put our lives on the line at great personal cost. We must sanitise our polity. We cannot have a country where people who terrorise others online dictate the tone of political discourse,” he said.
Reflecting on his past choices, Adeyanju noted that he has never voted for a “bad candidate,” citing his support for Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999 and Goodluck Jonathan in both 2011 and 2015.
