Human rights activist, Deji Adeyanju, says he would back President Bola Ahmed Tinubu against former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, if both men contest in the 2027 general elections.

Speaking on Channels Television on Friday, Adeyanju said his position was not about loyalty to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) but about values of democracy, tolerance, and political behaviour.

“Why would somebody like me support the APC? Support the APC for what? If the opposition presents Peter Obi, I will vote Tinubu. This is because we cannot have a situation where a man whose supporters cannot tolerate criticism calls people all sorts of names,” he stated.

Adeyanju accused some of Obi’s supporters of being intolerant of dissent, recalling how veteran actress Joke Silva was allegedly harassed online during the 2023 elections for supporting Tinubu.

He stressed that his voting record has always been independent of party affiliations, citing his support for Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999, Goodluck Jonathan in 2011 and 2015, and Omoyele Sowore in 2023.

According to him, while Obi’s candidacy initially excited him because of the South-East’s push for the presidency, he became disillusioned by what he described as the extremist conduct of some supporters.

Adeyanju said his activism has always been about protecting democracy and free expression, even at the cost of personal persecution and multiple arrests.

“We cannot have a situation in our polity where political extremism becomes the order of the day. Nigerians are living witnesses to what happened in the build-up to the last election,” he warned.