Human rights activist Deji Adeyanju has stated that he would vote for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election if the opposition coalition, led by the African Democratic Congress (ADC), puts forward Peter Obi as its candidate.

“God forbid that I support APC. But if the opposition presents Peter Obi, I will vote for Tinubu,” Adeyanju said on Friday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Morning Brief. His comments came in response to a question about whether his recent remarks were aimed at discrediting Obi.

Tensions between Adeyanju and Obi have intensified in recent weeks, culminating in a legal warning from the former Anambra State governor. Obi, through his lawyers, has threatened to sue Adeyanju over what he alleges are defamatory comments made in media interviews and on social media.

Adeyanju dismissed the legal notice, saying he is ready to face Obi in court.

He accused the Labour Party figurehead of enabling a toxic political environment, pointing to the aggressive behavior of some of Obi’s supporters—commonly known as “Obidients”—on social media.

“We cannot have a man who leads a mob that terrorises people online and cannot tolerate criticism, who calls people all sorts of names,” Adeyanju said. “Anyone who doesn’t support their candidate is either branded an enemy of Nigeria or accused of being paid. That’s not democracy.”

Questioning Obi’s democratic credentials, Adeyanju contrasted the politician’s record with his own history of activism.

“What sacrifices has he made for democracy? Many of us have risked our lives for this country. We must sanitise our politics. We cannot allow online bullies to define our political landscape,” he added.

Reflecting on his voting history, Adeyanju insisted he had always supported candidates he deemed credible.

“In my view, I’ve never voted for a bad candidate. I voted for Obasanjo in 1999, Goodluck Jonathan in 2011 and again in 2015—against those so-called democrats who backed Muhammadu Buhari,” he said.