Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has challenged President Bola Tinubu to stop blaming the opposition for hunger and poverty in Nigeria, insisting that the President should account for the billions of naira borrowed by his administration.
Obi spoke on Monday during the inauguration of the NDC National Campaign Council, where he criticised Tinubu’s handling of the economy and questioned what Nigerians had gained from the government’s spending since it took office in May 2023.
The former Anambra State governor was reacting to Tinubu’s remarks at the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign flag-off in Kaduna on Saturday, where the President blamed opposition politicians for the hunger and poverty confronting Nigerians.
“I hear my opponents talking about hunger and poverty. Who created it? They did! They created the hunger; they created the poverty. We are trying to eradicate it,” Tinubu said.
Obi faulted the President for launching his re-election campaign without giving Nigerians a clear account of what his administration had achieved with the funds borrowed and the budgets implemented over the past three years.
“Just last Saturday, Tinubu was launching his second-term campaign. Rather than explain to Nigerians what he used all the billions he borrowed for, or what he achieved with the 2023, 2024 and 2025 budgets, he blamed other people,” Obi said.
He argued that the government should take responsibility for the economic situation and explain how its policies had affected the lives of ordinary Nigerians.
Obi also questioned the administration’s ability to tackle poverty, hunger, corruption and insecurity, saying the country needed leadership focused on solving these problems rather than blaming political opponents.
He said his party would pursue a different approach if elected in 2027, with attention to the welfare of Nigerians and practical solutions to the country’s economic challenges.
Tinubu, on his part, has defended his administration’s economic reforms, including the removal of petrol subsidy and changes to the foreign exchange system, arguing that they are necessary to strengthen the economy. However, the reforms have been accompanied by higher living costs, leaving many households struggling to afford food, transport and other basic needs.
Obi said Nigerians should judge the President by his record in office.
He challenged Tinubu to explain what his government had done with the money borrowed and why many citizens were still struggling to make ends meet.
