Charles Awuzie reacts to Peter Obi’s legal threat against activist Deji Adeyanju, highlighting Deji’s smart survival tactics, loyalty, and hidden political motives.
The controversy between Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Ob, and activist Deji Adeyanju has continued to generate public reactions, with tech entrepreneur and social commentator, Charles Awuzie, adding his voice to the debate.
Recently, Obi, through his legal team, Ejesimen & Co Madiba Chambers, SAN, issued a legal notice to Deji Adeyanju over a series of alleged defamatory remarks made on social media.
The lawyers insisted that Adeyanju had repeatedly made derogatory and misleading claims capable of damaging Obi’s reputation.
The dispute is tied to a post Adeyanju made on August 21. In that post, Adeyanju accused Obi of misappropriating public funds from the Anambra State treasury and channeling them into his family’s business.
He also alleged that Obi once attempted to bribe him, narrating that during a private meeting, the former governor offered him money under the guise of “thank you for coming.” Obi’s lawyers have described these statements as completely false, malicious, and harmful to his public image.
Consequently, the legal team demanded that Adeyanju immediately retract his statements and issue an unreserved public apology. They further warned that failure to comply would lead to the commencement of legal action in court.
However, Adeyanju dismissed the legal threat with mockery. In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), he described the letter as “laughable,” branding Obi a “religious bigot” and accusing him of orchestrating online attacks through aides and supporters.
He declared that he eagerly looked forward to facing Obi in court, describing him as “a fraud parading himself as a messiah.”
READ MORE: Peter Obi threatens legal action against Deji Adeyanju
Amidst this heated exchange, Charles Awuzie weighed in, offering an unusual perspective on Adeyanju’s personality and history.
Awuzie, while not directly defending Adeyanju, described him as an exceptionally “smart” figure whose ability to reinvent himself has often been underestimated.
He recalled a conversation with someone who knew Adeyanju from his undergraduate days at Bayero University, Kano.
The individual reminded him of a controversial murder case in which Adeyanju was once implicated, questioning how he managed to navigate the trial, live under the shadow of uncertainty for four years, and still rebrand himself successfully as a “voice of the voiceless.”
Awuzie admitted that this line of questioning made him reflect on Adeyanju’s survival tactics.
He likened his respect for Adeyanju to the admiration viewers feel for fictional antiheroes, such as Raymond Reddington in The Blacklist series — characters who thrive on controversy yet command loyalty and intrigue despite their flaws.
Going further, Awuzie described Adeyanju not merely as an activist, but as a shrewd politician in disguise.
According to him, Adeyanju understands the frustrations of average Nigerians and cleverly positions himself as a critic of government, even when his real motivations may differ.
His frequent arrests for activism, Awuzie argued, form part of a strategy to bury old allegations under a newer image of sacrifice for the people.
He also suggested that Adeyanju’s alliance with fellow activist VeryDarkMan (VDM) was a tactical move, claiming the partnership had benefitted Adeyanju more than VDM himself realized.
Awuzie then connected the dots to Adeyanju’s political loyalty. He reminded the public that when Adeyanju faced the murder trial in his university days, he was defended by Barrister Festus Keyamo, SAN, now a senior political figure.
In Awuzie’s words, Adeyanju has never been ungrateful to those who stood by him, and his loyalty to Keyamo is one reason he would always oppose Peter Obi’s political interests.
He further stated that while former Vice President Atiku Abubakar holds a central role in Adeyanju’s political destiny, Festus Keyamo is the “assistant saviour” who secured his freedom during his darkest moments.
By contrast, Obi’s famous declaration that he would not distribute money (“I won’t give shishi”) made him unattractive to activists who, in Awuzie’s words, might be described as “cashtivists.”
Awuzie concluded that Obi should not expect Adeyanju’s support, noting that beyond activism, Adeyanju’s political choices are shaped by personal history, loyalty, and survival instincts.