Human rights activist, Deji Adeyanju, has said he would support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, if both men face each other in the 2027 general elections.

Speaking on Channels Television on Friday, Adeyanju explained that his stance was not out of loyalty to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) but based on his personal convictions about 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 said.

The activist accused a section of Obi’s supporters of being intolerant of dissent, alleging that they often launched online attacks and intimidation campaigns against those who held different views.

Citing the treatment of veteran actress Joke Silva during the 2023 election, Adeyanju said:

“They terrorised that woman and others because she decided to support Tinubu. People have the right, I have the right.”

Adeyanju stressed that his political choices had always been independent of party affiliations.

He recalled voting across different party lines over the years, including for Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999, Goodluck Jonathan in 2011 and 2015, and Omoyele Sowore in 2023.

He said his initial excitement about Obi’s candidacy, particularly as a chance for the South-East to aspire to the presidency, faded as the campaign unfolded.

According to him, the conduct of some of Obi’s supporters made him reconsider his support.

“The idea of Obi’s candidacy excited me because the South-East has not produced a president since independence. But I couldn’t reconcile with some of the things I observed in the movement,” he said.

Adeyanju emphasised that his activism has always centred on defending democracy and free expression, noting that he has endured multiple arrests under various administrations.

“We have put our lives on the line for this country, for the preservation of democracy, at personal expense of prosecution. At one point, I was almost charged with terrorism,” he said.

He clarified that his opposition to Obi should not be mistaken for an endorsement of APC, stressing that he remains committed to issue-based politics.

“Because 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 added.