Peter Obi, a former Labour Party presidential candidate, has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of hypocrisy, claiming it has misplaced its priority and is failing to improve Nigerians’ lives while focusing on political gamesmanship.
Speaking at a news conference in Abuja on Thursday, June 12, to commemorate Nigeria’s Democracy Day, Obi stated that political happenings over the last two years show that those in power are more concerned with achieving an election advantage than delivering effective government.
He began by paying tribute to the late MKO Abiola, praising him and other freedom advocates as persons “who paid the ultimate sacrifice for democracy”. However, he stated that the current status of the nation is worrying and distant from democratic ideals.
Obi said, “It is deeply troubling that under the current administration, Nigeria cannot be said to be in a democracy, even though the current president was part of the struggle to bring back democracy.”
“The state of the nation is depressing, as the economy and security are at an all-time low, and even key indicators for measuring national progress like health care, education and production.”
Obi cited statistics to state that in 2023, approximately 38.9% of Nigerians lived below the poverty level, but this figure has now climbed to 54%. Less than ten per cent of primary health care centres in the country are operational.
In the previous six months, I’ve gone to numerous states and had to intervene in maternity units where both mother and kid have a 50/50 chance of survival after giving birth.
He warned that food insecurity and hunger are at record highs, with severe consequences on public well-being. “Hunger crisis and food insecurity are at an all-time high, with many unable to afford basic food items, leading many to resort to professional begging,” Obi said. “Due to this, the World Health Organisation released a report saying over 20 million Nigerians have mental health issues.”
Obi also expressed alarm over Nigeria’s mounting debt, criticising the Tinubu-led government for reckless borrowing without equivalent advances in public welfare.
“The current administration has borrowed so much money that Nigeria’s debt is now N188 trillion,” he said. “Yet such monies have not been used to better the lot of the people, as corruption is now at an all-time high, with the National Assembly blatantly padding the 2025 budget.”
He criticised the state of the power sector, lamenting higher costs for limited electricity supply.
“Nigerians now pay more tariffs for more darkness. This is against the president’s promise during his campaign, where he said if he didn’t give Nigerians power in four years, they should not vote for him for a second term.”
Obi called on President Tinubu to “uphold the rule of law and ensure transparency to return Nigeria to a democracy” and urged the president to connect more directly with Nigerians by travelling across the country instead of staying abroad.
“Stop governance by remote control,” he said. “If he spent the same amount of time going round Nigeria, he would have seen the suffering.”
He stressed the significance of restoring security in rural regions, particularly in food production. “He should tackle insecurity to ensure farmers can go back to their farms, as agriculture is the first key to unlocking the economy,” he told reporters.
Obi closed with a word of encouragement to Nigerians, saying, “Do not give up on the nation at this critical time,” and urged the government to “help manufacturers reduce production costs to ensure production thrives.”
