SAHARA REPORTERS
Former Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi has taken a swipe at President Bola Tinubu’s administration, “praising” him for fulfilling his promise to continue where former President, Muhammadu Buhari, left off.
Speaking during a visit to Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed on Thursday, Obi criticised the state of Nigeria’s economy, citing soaring inflation, currency depreciation, and rising costs of essential goods.
He contrasted Nigeria’s economic performance with that of Indonesia, highlighting how the Southeast Asian nation improved its GDP and per capita income over the past decade while Nigeria’s economic indicators declined.
Obi emphasized the need for industrial revitalization, investment in education and healthcare, and a shift toward productive governance. He also reiterated his call for Nigerians to move beyond ethnic and religious politics, advocating instead for competence and capacity in leadership.
He said; “Tinubu promised to continue where Buhari stopped. If you look at it, Buhari left the dollar at about N400, today it is about N1500. 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.
“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 further emphasised the need to revive Nigeria’s industries, invest in education and healthcare, and steer the nation towards productive governance. Stating that his meeting with Governor Bala Mohammed was part of a broader discussion on addressing the country’s challenges.
“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.
THIS STORY FIRST APPEARED IN SAHARA REPORTERS
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