Peter Obi of the Labour Party has sent a strong message to his supporters, saying he is not fighting President Bola Tinubu or any politician, but is vehemently against bad governance and poverty in Nigeria.

Mr Obi made this statement after photos surfaced on social media showing him and former Ekiti State governor, Kayode Fayemi, exchanging pleasantries with Mr Tinubu at the Vatican during a solemn mass to mark the beginning of Pope Leo XIV’s papacy.

Asked to comment on public reactions generated by his encounter with Mr Tinubu at the Vatican, Mr Obi dismissed the notion that he is “fighting” the president or any politician.

“President Tinubu and I are not fighting. I am not fighting anybody. My fight is against bad governance, hunger, poverty, out-of-school children menace,” Mr Obi told journalists on Monday.

The former Anambra governor, who is now a major opposition figure, added, “Politics for me is not about position. It is about doing the right thing.”

Mr Obi’s statement comes amid a barrage of toxic ethno-religious debates between Mr Obi’s and Mr Tinubu’s supporters on social media. The two camps have consistently engaged in divisive rhetoric while championing their preferred politician.