Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, Jarret Tenebe, has publicly restated his strong personal dislike for Labour Party chieftain and former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, insisting that he "hates" him and has a constitutional right to express such views.
Speaking during a live interview on TVC News on Monday night, Tenebe did not hold back as he described Peter Obi as a liar and a hypocrite. He was responding to recent criticisms concerning a comment made by Governor Monday Okpebholo over an incident where some people reportedly died after Obi’s visit to the state. “Well, my governor is not Peter Obi, who lies. In the first place, the governor did not say the people died while Peter Obi was around. The people died when Peter Obi left, when they were sharing that ₦15 million he dropped,” Tenebe said. He questioned the source of the alleged cash gift, challenging Obi’s well-known claim of modest living. “Somebody who said he does not have shishi, where did he get the ₦15 million that he's dropping?” he asked. When asked about his previous statement saying he hates Obi, Tenebe said he stands by his words and doesn’t believe in sitting on the fence. “The opposite of hate is love. If I don’t love you, I hate you. I don’t like Peter Obi. I still maintain it. I hate him,” he declared. Pressed by the anchor on whether his words were extreme, Tenebe responded, “I don’t stay at the middle. I’m an extremist. I stay at the extreme. I have the right to like or hate.” He defended his position by referencing the Nigerian Constitution, saying it guarantees freedom of expression. “The Constitution does not say don’t hate somebody. So I can decide to hate or like somebody,” he added. Tenebe’s comments have drawn widespread attention, with many Nigerians reacting on social media. While some applauded his bluntness, others criticized the tone of his remarks, warning that such rhetoric could fuel political intolerance. Peter Obi has not responded publicly to Tenebe’s remarks as of the time of filing this report
