A former spokesman of the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Seye Oladejo, on Sunday said the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, presidential candidate, Peter Obi cannot lie his way to the presidency.
Oladejo noted that leadership is not a theatre, adding that the presidency is certainly not an acting competition where emotional anecdotes can substitute for truth.
The APC chieftain made the remark in reaction to Obi’s face-off with airport officials.
Obi had accused officials of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport of wrong doing in an incident regarding wrong parking.
He claimed that his vehicle was unjustly clamped at the airport in an attempt to frustrate him.
But the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo charged Obi to publicly apologise to airport officials and pay a N25,000 fine because he was wrong.
Keyamo disclosed that an internal investigation showed that Obi’s car was unjustly parked.
According to the minister, CCTV footage from the airport showed that Obi arrived at the domestic terminal on July 4, 2026, at about 8:28 p.m in a vehicle driven by a police officer.
He said that after dropping Obi and two other occupants, the police driver parked the vehicle in a designated drop-off zone and left it unattended while entering the terminal, contrary to airport regulations.
However, a statement by Oladejo said: “Politics is ultimately built on trust. Every campaign promise, every policy proposal and every appeal for public support rests on one indispensable currency: credibility. Once credibility is squandered, every subsequent claim becomes suspect. That is why recent revelations surrounding Mr. Peter Obi’s now infamous airport encounter and the CCTV narrative deserve serious attention from Nigerians.
“For a politician who has painstakingly cultivated the image of honesty and moral superiority, the CCTV episode has exposed an uncomfortable contradiction between carefully crafted public perception and verifiable facts.
“Leadership is not theatre. The presidency is certainly not an acting competition where emotional anecdotes can substitute for truth. It is an office that demands integrity, consistency and accountability.
“Nigerians have become far more discerning than many politicians imagine. Technology has made verification easier. Facts are increasingly difficult to suppress. Every public statement can be scrutinised, every claim investigated and every inconsistency exposed.
“As the nation gradually approaches another election cycle, the electorate must become even more vigilant. Personality cults should never replace critical thinking. Emotional rhetoric should never overshadow verifiable facts. Carefully choreographed public relations should never become a substitute for proven competence and integrity.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu did not arrive in office on the strength of carefully curated social media optics. He earned his place through decades of political organization, institutional experience, coalition building and an enduring commitment to democratic struggles. His record remains open to public scrutiny, and his administration continues to implement reforms aimed at laying the foundation for long-term national prosperity.
“The opposition has every democratic right to seek power. Indeed, a vibrant opposition strengthens democracy. However, that aspiration must be anchored on truth, credibility and responsible engagement-not on sensationalism or narratives that collapse under the weight of evidence.
“Ultimately, Nigerians are not looking for the most dramatic storyteller. They are looking for a leader they can trust. As 2027 gradually comes into view, Nigerians must subject every presidential hopeful to the highest standard of scrutiny. We must ask not only who speaks the loudest, but who speaks the truth; not only who promises the most, but who can be trusted to keep faith with the Nigerian people.
“The CCTV exposé is therefore more than a fleeting controversy. It is a referendum on credibility. And in a democracy where trust remains the foundation of leadership, one lesson stands above all others: you cannot lie your way to the Presidency.”
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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