Former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, has slammed Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, accusing him of spreading false and damaging information about Nigeria’s debt profile, which he claims is scaring away foreign investors and harming the nation’s economic reputation.
Speaking during a live appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, Omokri described Obi’s recent statements on Nigeria’s debt under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as misleading and irresponsible.
“The reason why I came here is because I’m a patriot. Peter Obi lied,” Omokri declared. “Foreign direct investors are watching your programme and are making investment decisions not to come to Nigeria. Some investors already in the country are also considering leaving because of the lie he told.”
Omokri particularly refuted Obi’s claim that Tinubu had borrowed more than all previous presidents—Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Goodluck Jonathan, and Muhammadu Buhari—combined.
He described the claim as “a blatant lie,” citing official figures from the Debt Management Office (DMO) to support his argument.
“I have here with me data from the Debt Management Office,” Omokri said. “As of 2015, Nigeria’s debt stood at $63 billion. When Buhari left office, the debt had increased to $113 billion.
Today, according to the same DMO, our debt has dropped to $97 billion. That means President Tinubu has reduced our debt by over $14 billion.”
He added that Obi manipulated figures by converting debts to naira using current exchange rates, a tactic Omokri believes was designed to deceive the public and paint a distorted picture of the country’s financial health.
“We should be appreciating this man [Tinubu] for reducing the debt burden, but instead, Peter Obi came here and lied to the Nigerian people,” he said.
Omokri’s comments have since stirred debate online, with critics and supporters of both political figures weighing in on the implications of public commentary on investor confidence and national reputation.
