Human rights activist, Deji Adeyanju, has declared that if faced with a choice between President Bola Tinubu and former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, in the 2027 general elections, he would cast his vote for Tinubu.
Adeyanju, who spoke on a Channels Television programme on Friday, said his preference was not borne out of allegiance to the ruling All Progressives Congress, but because of what he described as the intolerance of Obi’s supporters.
“Why would somebody like me support the APC? Support the APC for what? But if the opposition presents Peter Obi, I will vote for Tinubu,” he said.
The activist accused Obi’s supporters, popularly known as Obidients, of being intolerant of dissenting views, adding that their conduct during the 2023 election made it impossible for him to support the Labour Party flag bearer again.
According to him, many Nigerians were harassed and labelled as enemies of the country simply for refusing to back Obi.
“Anybody who does not support their candidate is seen as an enemy of Nigeria, compromised, or paid by the government. That kind of political extremism is dangerous for our democracy,” he said.
Adeyanju cited the case of veteran actress, Joke Silva, who faced heavy online attacks after openly supporting Tinubu in 2023, as an example of the toxic political climate.
The activist maintained that his political choices over the years had always been based on personal convictions rather than partisanship.
He listed former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Goodluck Jonathan, and activist Omoyele Sowore as some of the candidates he had supported in the past.
“I have never voted for a bad candidate in my view. In 1999, I voted Obasanjo. In 2011 and 2015, I voted Jonathan. In 2023, I voted Sowore. I could not support Buhari,” he explained.
While acknowledging that Obi’s emergence in 2023 initially excited him, particularly because it presented an opportunity for the South-East to aspire to the presidency, Adeyanju said he became disillusioned as the campaign progressed.
“The idea of Obi’s candidacy excited me because the South-East has not produced a president since independence. But I could not reconcile with some of the things I saw in the movement,” he added.
Adeyanju stressed that his activism had always been rooted in the defence of democracy and freedom of expression, recalling that he had endured multiple arrests and charges under different governments due to his advocacy.
He, however, warned that a divided opposition would only continue to strengthen the APC ahead of 2027, urging opposition figures to put aside sentiments and embrace tolerance.
“Opposition politics can only succeed with unity. But if political extremism becomes the order of the day, then APC will keep winning,” he said.
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