The Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has taken a jab at President Bola Tinubu, ironically commending him for keeping his pledge to pick up where former President Muhammadu Buhari left off.
While visiting Governor Bala Mohammed in Bauchi on Thursday, March 13, Obi expressed disapproval of the current government’s economic management, asserting that Nigeria must shift away from ethnic and religious politics to prioritize competence and capacity.
“Tinubu promised to continue where Buhari stopped. If you look at it, Buhari left the dollar at about N400, today it is about N1,500. Rice was about N40,000, it is now over N100,000. Fuel was about N300, it is now over N1,000. I can go on and on—everything has doubled and tripled. So, he has done exactly as he promised,” Obi remarked.
Obi drew a comparison between Nigeria’s economic trajectory and that of Indonesia, highlighting how their leadership reshaped the nation’s economy over the past ten years.
“In Indonesia, a president was sworn in about the same time as another one in Nigeria. Ten years later, Indonesia moved their GDP from $800 billion to $1.3 trillion, and their per capita income from $3,000 to $5,000. Here in Nigeria, our GDP fell from $500 billion to $200 billion, and per capita income dropped from $3,500 to below $2,000—that is the difference,” he explained.
He also stressed the urgency of revitalizing Nigeria’s industries, investing in education and healthcare, and guiding the country toward effective governance.
Obi noted that his discussion with Governor Bala Mohammed was part of a larger conversation aimed at tackling the nation’s issues.
“We have just started discussions. You can’t consummate a marriage in one day. But the most important thing is that our thoughts are centered on issues that affect the ordinary Nigerian.
“We want a Nigeria where a child of nobody can become somebody. We will eliminate the elite conspiracy that uses tribalism and religion to divide the people. We have voted for tribe and religion before; now, we must vote for competence and capacity,” Obi said.
A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.
Nnamdi Okoli
