Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on information and strategy, has dismissed Peter Obi’s claim that he may not be alive for the 2027 general election, describing it as a fabricated narrative aimed at attracting public sympathy.

Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), made the remarks during an interview with Chude Jideonwo, where he accused the federal government of deliberately frustrating his means of livelihood and targeting opposition figures.

The former Anambra State governor alleged that the government was obstructing everything he does for a living and suggested that his safety could be at risk ahead of the next election.

“The way they are going… not even as a candidate, I might not even be alive. I’m telling you,” Obi said.

Responding in a statement posted on his X account on Wednesday, Onanuga described Obi’s comments as “nothing more than a fabricated narrative, a page from his book of lies and propaganda.”

The presidential spokesman said Obi’s allegations were intended to divert public attention from what he described as the challenges confronting the NDC and the former governor’s political camp.

“His claim that he may not be alive for the January 2027 election and that people are being pressured not to invite him to social events is nothing more than a fabricated narrative, a page from his book of lies and propaganda,” the statement said.

“These claims lack substance and are designed to attract undue sympathy and deflect attention from his credibility deficit and the problems faced by his SPV and his adopted political association, the NDC.”

Onanuga also addressed Obi’s business interests, noting that the former governor has a substantial stake in Fidelity Bank, which he said has continued to perform strongly under the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms.

“It is important to note that Mr Obi has a substantial interest in Fidelity Bank. The institution continues to thrive as a result of the current administration’s robust economic reforms.

“The government is certainly not targeting the bank. Rather than being ‘haunted’ by the government, Mr Obi appears to be grappling with the consequences of his litany of unfounded statements,” he said.

Onanuga maintained that President Tinubu remains focused on consolidating his administration’s reforms and has no time to engage with what he described as Obi’s “self-serving narratives and lies.”