Presidency and Atiku Aides Clash Over Alleged Executive Interference in ADC Leadership Crisis

Paul Ibe slams Bayo Onanuga over the ADC crisis, alleging the presidency is influencing INEC statements to undermine opposition party leadership.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 4, 2026, 11:57 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Ripples Nigeria

Digital Confrontation Erupts Between Rival Political Camps

The long standing friction between the camps of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and President Bola Tinubu has intensified following a sharp exchange on social media. Paul Ibe, the primary media spokesperson for Abubakar, publicly challenged presidential aide Bayo Onanuga over his commentary regarding the All Democratic Congress, or ADC. The dispute highlights the volatile nature of Nigerian political communications, where high ranking aides frequently engage in direct, public sparring over the legitimacy of opposition party structures.

Presidency Aide Labels Opposition Proceedings as Illegal

The conflict was initiated by Onanuga via a post on X, formerly Twitter, in which he characterized the actions of the ADC as a display of lawlessness. Utilizing a traditional proverb, the presidential aide suggested that the party was ignoring critical warnings, effectively likening their current trajectory to a dog getting lost in a forest by ignoring a hunter's whistle. This public rebuke served as the catalyst for a swift and aggressive counter-narrative from the Abubakar media office.

Accusations of Executive Meddling in Electoral Affairs

In a pointed rebuttal, Paul Ibe suggested that the presidency’s intense interest in the ADC’s internal affairs was suspicious, employing a metaphor about a mourner crying louder than the bereaved. Ibe went further by alleging that the presidency was the actual architect behind recent controversial statements released by the Independent National Electoral Commission. According to Ibe, there is evidence suggesting that the electoral umpire’s stance on the Joash Amupitan-led leadership was generated within the presidential villa rather than by independent regulators.