Pro-Tinubu commentators have knocked Peter Obi, former presidential candidate of the Labour Party in 2023, for saying the murderous Abacha regime was more democratic than President Bola Tinubu’s government and other National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) activists who are now in power.

In a statement on Thursday, Mr Obi, a former Anambra governor, said that the late military dictator, General Sani Abacha, was more democratic than Mr Tinubu and his comrades in the defunct pro-democracy group.

The former Anambra governor’s statement has sparked reactions from pro-Tinubu commentators, who berated Mr Obi for being naive and reckless with his statement.

A human rights lawyer and former member of the House of Representatives, Kayode Oladele, said: “There is nothing democratic about the Abacha years. That era was characterised by repression, violation of human rights, and the silencing of opposition voices. To suggest otherwise is to ignore the painful experiences of Nigerians who lived through that period.”

He added: “The men and women of NADECO stood firmly against military rule at great personal cost. Many were detained, harassed, or forced into exile. Their sacrifices laid the foundation for the democracy we enjoy today, and it is wrong to diminish their contributions. Our democracy is a product of years of struggle and sacrifice. While there are challenges, it remains far better than any form of military rule. We must not allow careless remarks to distort history or undermine the progress we have made.”

Segun Awosanya, who started the #EndSARS campaign against police brutality, lashed out at Mr Obi, saying: “Now I see why those following you are full of hate and languishing in excruciating pain. You have my sympathy at this point. Your attempt at inciting the public for political gain will not fly, but keep at it. No enemy of the country’s progress will succeed.”

Two ambassadors of the Tinubu government, Femi Fani-Kayode and Reno Omokri, also rebuked Mr Obi for comparing the murderous Abacha regime to the democratically elected Tinubu’s government.

“You have totally and completely lost your mind, and this post of yours will go down in infamy as the most consequential one you ever made. What you have written today is way beyond politics, and you have assaulted the senses and wounded the sensitivities of all those who lost their lives, liberty, and loved ones during the struggle against fascism, dictatorship, and military rule,” Mr Kayode said.

He added: “To mock the memory of those that died fighting for democracy in the June 12th struggle and sacrificed their lives and liberty as members of NADECO in this way is unacceptable and unforgivable. Simply put, it is despicable. The blood of all those that were killed by General Abacha and his goons, whom you served, shall speak against you for the rest of your life, and their spirits shall haunt you from now till eternity.”

Mr Omokri berated Mr Obi, accusing him of working for the Abacha regime and now defending the late dictator.

“You worked for Abacha, so of course you will defend your boss. But how on earth can you say General Abacha “will be remembered as seemingly more democratic and more respectful of human rights than the so-called champions of activism from the NADECO days,” Mr Omokri said.

Listing the names of those assassinated under Mr Abacha’s regime, Mr Omokri said Mr Obi was “dancing on the graves of all these great Nigerians by claiming that Abacha is better than President Tinubu.”

He added: “Do you know how many state-sponsored murders of prominent Nigerians your boss, Abacha, whom you served as a task force appointee, was responsible for?”

Japheth Omojuwa and Dipo Awojide, via their respective social media handles, berated Mr Obi for comparing Mr Abacha’s regime to Mr Tinubu’s and the NADECO activists.

“To pretend to take shots at the president without even having the balls to mention him by name or title whilst picking on NADECO is to thoughtfully attack those men and women who fought for this democracy,” Mr Omojuwa said.

He added: “There was zero, absolutely zero reason to mention NADECO. It was a calculated insertion to denigrate all those heroes who fought for this democracy. Just because when they were fighting, this person was frolicking.”

Mr Awojide mentioned M.K.O. Abiola amongst prominent persons killed under Mr Abacha’s regime, saying: “These are some of the prominent victims of General Sani Abacha between 1993 and 1998. The killings and attacks were allegedly done by the ‘Strike Force’ or ‘BGs’, under Maj. Hamza Al-Mustapha.”

He added: “Is this the man you are claiming will be remembered as more democratic and more respectful of human rights than NADECO activists? It is okay to disagree with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s politics, but to try to rewrite our history is really unfortunate.”