Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, has launched a scathing critique of President Bola Tinubu’s handling of Nigeria’s economy, accusing the administration of manipulating economic data to conceal the deepening hardship faced by citizens.
In a statement shared on Monday via his official X account, Obi recalled a remark made by then-presidential candidate Tinubu during a campaign rally in Delta State in November 2022.
According to Obi, Tinubu had ridiculed his use of data during the presidential race, dismissively asking, “Na statistics we go chop?” and promising instead to ensure food on the table for Nigerians.
Obi noted that nearly two years into Tinubu’s administration, the promise remains unfulfilled, arguing that the economic situation has worsened under his leadership.
> “Now two years into his 4-year tenure, Nigeria is classified as one of the hungriest nations in the world, with millions of Nigerians not knowing where their next meal will come from,” Obi stated.
The former Anambra State governor alleged that the Tinubu government has been peddling inaccurate data to create a false narrative of economic progress.
He pointed to what he described as misleading figures on unemployment, inflation, and GDP growth as attempts to distract the public from the country’s worsening economic realities.
“President Tinubu is now overfeeding Nigerians with wrong statistics—from wrong unemployment figures, wrong inflation figures, and now GDP debasing—all to put a positive spin on our deteriorating economic and household conditions,” Obi said.
Reaffirming his view on leadership, Obi stressed that governance should be driven by competence and compassion, not guesswork or propaganda.
“Governance is not a rock science, it’s not a gamble. Like I have always reiterated, it requires sincerity of purpose, character, competence, capacity and compassion,” he concluded.
Obi’s remarks come amid rising public frustration over inflation, food insecurity, and widespread poverty in Nigeria, as critics and opposition voices continue to question the Tinubu administration’s economic policies and priorities.
