President Bola Tinubu has come under fire from Peter Obi, the 2027 Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential contender, over his recent remarks regarding famine in Nigeria.
According to Obi, the idea that hunger has always existed in the nation cannot be used as an excuse for the deteriorating economic conditions under the current administration.
In response to remarks made by President Tinubu when welcoming members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, or CBCN, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, he made the comments in a statement posted on his official social media page on Friday.
Tinubu informed the bishops during the conference that hunger had been in Nigeria since before he was even born.
In response, Obi called the President’s remarks inappropriate and insisted that the emphasis should be on the nation’s current situation and the quantifiable effects of governmental initiatives.
“I watched with great anxiety as President Bola Tinubu told the Catholic Bishops that hunger had been in Nigeria since before he was even born.
“While it is true that hunger has been a part of human life and has existed in our country for decades, such a statement appears insensitive to the plight of the millions of Nigerians who face worsening economic hardship today,” Obi stated.
Nigeria’s poverty and food insecurity, according to the former governor of Anambra State, have gotten much worse since the Tinubu administration took office in 2023.
He claims that prior to the current administration taking office, about 17 million Nigerians experienced severe food insecurity; today, that number has increased to about 35 million.
Additionally, Obi warned that Nigeria now has the biggest number of people living in extreme poverty worldwide, claiming that the country’s extreme poverty rate had risen from an expected 87 million in 2023 to nearly 140 million.
There is no denying that this administration came with significant obstacles. However, leadership is evaluated based on the outcomes attained rather than the difficulties faced.
He said, “The government must honestly acknowledge that its response has fallen far short of what the situation demanded.”
Obi attributed the deteriorating circumstances to inadequate investment in productive sectors, inefficient state spending, fiscal indiscipline, bad economic management, and ongoing instability.
He asked the federal government to give education, healthcare, agriculture, security, and small business support top priority, claiming that doing so would increase employment, increase output, and lessen poverty nationwide.