Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, has criticized President Bola Tinubu for allegedly presenting misleading economic statistics to mask the true state of the country.
In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, Obi recalled a moment during the 2023 campaign trail when Tinubu dismissed his emphasis on data in governance.
“In November 2022, while campaigning in Delta State, the then APC Presidential Candidate, Bola Tinubu, now the President, berated the other Presidential Candidate (Peter Obi), he was ashamed to call his name, saying ‘Na statistics we go chop? All I want is to put food on the table of Nigerians,’” Obi stated.
He noted that, nearly two years into Tinubu’s presidency, Nigeria now ranks among the hungriest nations globally, with countless citizens uncertain about their next meal.
Obi accused the President of using distorted figures to paint a rosy picture of the country’s economic condition. “President Tinubu is now overfeeding Nigerians with wrong statistics from wrong unemployment figures, wrong inflation figures, and now GDP rebasing—all to put a positive spin on our deteriorating economic and household conditions,” he said.
He further emphasized that governance should not be treated as a gamble but as a serious responsibility requiring “sincerity of purpose, character, competence, capacity and compassion.”
Obi’s statement came shortly after industrialist Aliko Dangote praised President Tinubu for his economic reform initiatives, stating that they are helping to rebuild investor confidence in Nigeria.
What You Should Know
Peter Obi has consistently championed the use of accurate data in governance and economic policy. His latest critique of President Tinubu underscores ongoing tensions between both political figures and draws attention to the growing public concern over Nigeria’s worsening economic indicators.
