11/08/2026
DEJI ADEYANJU: CRIMINAL PROSECUTION FOR MURDER IS NOT A BADGE OF HONOUR
We have watched with considerable amusement the latest episode in Deji Adeyanjuâs seemingly endless campaign of hostility against Peter Obi and the millions of Nigerians who support him.
To be clear, Mr. Adeyanju has every right to criticise Peter Obi. In a democracy, nobody is above scrutiny. But criticism requires substance, and political disagreement does not automatically become intellectual superiority simply because it is delivered loudly on social media.
What is particularly entertaining, however, is Mr. Adeyanjuâs recent declaration that he is somehow âbiggerâ than Peter Obi.
That claim deserves neither outrage nor anger. It deserves examinationâand perhaps a little arithmetic.
By the time Mr. Adeyanju obtained his first university degree in 2022, reportedly in his mid-40s, Peter Obi had already built businesses, established himself in the banking sector, served as chairman of a major financial institution, and governed Anambra State.
So when exactly did this alleged âbignessâ occur?
Was it in business?
Governance?
Banking?
Public administration?
Enterprise?
Leadership?
Or perhaps in the number of controversies generated on social media?
Because if the argument is that noise, insults and constant political provocation constitute greatness, then perhaps Mr. Adeyanju really does have a competitive advantage.
But Nigeria deserves a more serious standard.
There is also another aspect of Mr. Adeyanjuâs public record that he may wish to reconsider before using his past as a measuring tape for political stature.
Being arrested, detained, prosecuted for an alleged murder offence and subsequently discharged and acquitted is not a political qualification.
It is not a leadership credential.
It is certainly not a badge of honour.
An acquittal means that the prosecution did not establish guilt to the required legal standard. It does not magically transform the underlying ordeal into an achievement deserving political bragging rights.
If Mr. Adeyanju genuinely considers that chapter of his life part of his credentials, then perhaps what is required is not another press statement or social-media tirade, but a little introspection.
Nigeria has enough people mistaking controversy for relevance, aggression for courage and social-media visibility for political importance.
We do not need another one.
What Nigeria desperately needs is competence, character, integrity, compassion, sound judgment and leaders capable of delivering measurable results.
And that is precisely why millions of Nigerians continue to look at Peter Obi differently.
Mr. Adeyanju can dislike Peter Obi.
He can criticise his policies. He can challenge his record. He can even insist, repeatedly and passionately, that he is âbiggerâ than Peter Obi.
Nobody is stopping him.
But Nigerians have every right to ask the obvious question:
Bigger in what?
Bigger in experience?
Bigger in enterprise?
Bigger in governance?
Bigger in leadership?
Bigger in public service?
Bigger in measurable achievements?
Bigger in contribution to society?
Or simply bigger on social media?
Because there is a profound difference between being loud and being accomplished.
There is also a difference between being controversial and being consequential.
And perhaps most importantly, there is a difference between having an audience and having a legacy.
Mr. Adeyanju may have mastered the art of generating attention. That is not the same thing as having demonstrated the capacity to lead a state, build sustainable institutions, manage complex organisations or deliver measurable public value.
Political stature is not awarded to the person who shouts the loudest.
It is earned.
Through competence.
Through character.
Through service.
Through results.
Through impact.
So, by all means, let Deji Adeyanju continue his crusade against Peter Obi. Let him continue to tell Nigerians how âbigâ he is.
But Nigerians are not obliged to accept the advertisement without checking the product.
In politics, volume may attract attention. But achievement is what ultimately settles the argument.
Idris Zekeri Jnr writes from Abraka, Delta State.