The 2027 Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has criticised President Bola Tinubu over his recent comments on hunger in Nigeria.
Obi said the worsening economic situation under the current administration could not be dismissed by suggesting hunger has always existed in the country.
He made the remarks in a statement shared on his official social media page on Friday, while reacting to comments President Tinubu made while receiving members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, CBCN, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
During the meeting, Tinubu told the bishops that hunger had always existed in Nigeria, even before he was born.
Reacting, Obi described the President’s comments as insensitive, insisting that the focus should be on the current state of the country and the measurable impact of government policies.
“I watched with deep concern the statement made by President Bola Tinubu to the Catholic Bishops, that there has always been hunger in Nigeria, even before he was born.
“While it is true that hunger has been a part of human life and has existed in our country for decades, such a statement appears insensitive to the plight of the millions of Nigerians who face worsening economic hardship today,” Obi said.
The former Anambra State governor argued that Nigeria’s food insecurity and poverty had worsened significantly since the Tinubu administration assumed office in 2023.
According to him, about 17 million Nigerians were facing acute food insecurity before the current administration took office, but that figure has now risen to approximately 35 million.
Obi also claimed that the number of Nigerians living in extreme poverty had increased from an estimated 87 million in 2023 to nearly 140 million, warning that Nigeria now has the highest number of people living in extreme poverty globally.
“No one disputes that this administration inherited serious challenges. However, leadership is measured not by the challenges inherited but by the results achieved.
“The government must honestly acknowledge that its response has fallen far short of what the situation demanded,” he stated.
Obi blamed the worsening conditions on persistent insecurity, poor economic management, fiscal indiscipline, wasteful public spending and inadequate investment in productive sectors.
He urged the Federal Government to prioritise education, healthcare, agriculture, security and support for small businesses, saying such investments would create jobs, boost production and reduce poverty across the country.