Presidential adviser Bayo Onanuga has stirred controversy by sharing an old video of Peter Obi in which the former Anambra governor stated that members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) are “not terrorists.”

The clip, which shows Obi saying, “IPOB are not terrorists. I know them,” was taken from a 2017 interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today, aired on October 1, 2017.

It resurfaced after former presidential aide Reno Omokri posted it to his X handle. Onanuga, a member of the ruling APC, reposted the video with the caption: “Lest we forget what Peter Obi once said about IPOB.”

Lest we forget what Peter Obi once said about IPOB. https://t.co/3s11w4c2Ol

— Bayo Onanuga (@aonanuga1956) June 24, 2025

In the seven-year-old footage, Obi—then a private citizen and former governor—disagreed with the Buhari administration’s decision to proscribe IPOB as a terrorist organisation.

“The only thing I disagree with is naming IPOB terrorists. They are not terrorists. Those who took the decision may have information that I don’t have. I live in Onitsha, and I can tell you they are not terrorists. They are people I pass on the road every time, every day,” Obi said.

He insisted IPOB members did not constitute a threat to Nigeria: “I meet them and live with them. In fact, I usually see (IPOB) people gathering, and not one day has there been a threat or molestation or anything from them, even when they gather,” he added.

At the time, the Buhari-led federal government had just designated IPOB a terrorist organisation—a decision criticised by civil rights groups as a political overreach. IPOB is a separatist group agitating for an independent state of Biafra carved from the South-East and parts of the South-South. The group has since been linked to violent attacks in the South-East.

Critics have questioned Onanuga’s decision to reshare the 2017 clip, especially without context or reference to Obi’s more recent statements. Many see it as an attempt to mislead the public or imply Obi’s views have remained unchanged.

One X user commented, “It’s ironic that before the 2023 election, you couldn’t share Reno Omokri’s posts. Now you find him intelligent and resourceful for your campaign ahead of 2027.”

Another wrote: “See what you’re tweeting at your age? Your master Tinubu that is a drug dealer nko? You guys promised Nigerians good governance. I think you should channel your energy there and leave Peter Obi alone.”

Another user said: “Why not stop all these shenanigans and do the job you guys were hired to do? How can a ruling party behave like the opposition? Stop the Fulani terrorists and Boko Haram. Fix insecurity and poverty in Nigeria, and enough of the noise, please!”

One tweet read: “Obi is your nightmare, we get it. But before you talk about IPOB or Obi, address the hate speech you spewed against Igbos in Lagos. We haven’t forgotten. Tribal bigotry won’t be swept under the rug. We remember the Lagoon threats. #HateIsCrime.”

Another added, “At your age and with the position you occupy, there are things expected of you. This kind of trash you posted belittles the administration you serve. Very unfortunate.”

In contrast to his 2017 position, Obi has in recent years taken a more nuanced and firm stance. In a June 9, 2025 interview on ARISE News, he condemned any act of violence or illegality committed by IPOB or any agitator. He maintained that such issues must be addressed through dialogue—not force.

“I criticise every single act that is wrong—whether it’s in the East, West, or South,” Obi said. He stressed that agitation, whether regional or ideological, is natural in every society, and the solution lies in constructive engagement.

Responding to critics who accuse him of being soft on IPOB, Obi said, “I’m hard on everybody. I remember what I said during the campaign and I still say it today: any agitator, I will discuss with. There’s nothing wrong in agitation. Whether it’s an urban movement or modern movement—any movement—I’ll sit down and discuss with them.”

“Even in my house, people agitate. I have children who say, ‘Oh, I don’t want to do this, Daddy.’ And I say, ‘Okay, give me your time. Let’s talk.’ Why aren’t we sitting and talking with people? Let’s sit down and talk. We’ve become radical in our approach and think that bad behaviour makes you powerful. No—it kills the system. Good behaviour and good character have become seen as weakness.”

In June 2024, Obi also condemned the killing of five Nigerian soldiers by gunmen enforcing an IPOB sit-at-home order in Abia State. “I condemn this atrocity in strong terms,” Obi said in a statement, “and demand an immediate and thorough investigation into this crime in order to identify and punish the culprits.”

Meanwhile, IPOB has repeatedly distanced itself from Obi and his political movement. In 2022, the group declared it had no connection with Obi, the “Obidient” movement, or the Labour Party.

In a statement by its spokesman Emma Powerful, IPOB called attempts to link it with Obi “laughable” and “an insult to the Biafra struggle and the spirits of all who have died for Biafra.”

“We do not know Peter Obi nor agree with his political opinions. Our interest remains the unconditional release of our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, and a date for the Biafra referendum,” the group said.

They also criticised the Miyetti Allah group’s attempt to link IPOB with the “Obidient” movement, saying: “We cannot drag our hard-earned reputation into the mud of the farce called Nigerian politics. Peter Obi is playing dirty Nigerian politics while we in IPOB play advanced internationally accepted politics targeting Biafra Referendum.”