The 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over his comment that hunger has always existed in Nigeria, describing the statement as insensitive to the millions of citizens currently struggling with economic hardship.
Obi reacted in a statement shared on Friday following the President’s remark during a meeting with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Tinubu had told the bishops that hunger was not a new challenge in the country, noting that the problem existed long before his administration came into office.
Responding, Obi said while hunger had indeed been present in Nigeria for decades, the focus should be on the current reality and the impact of government policies on citizens.
“I watched with deep concern the statement made by President Bola Tinubu to the Catholic Bishops who visited his office, that there has always been hunger in Nigeria, even before he was born,” Obi said.
The former Anambra State governor argued that leadership should be assessed based on the conditions of citizens and the measurable results achieved by those in power.
He said before the Tinubu administration assumed office in 2023, about 17 million Nigerians were facing acute food insecurity due to insecurity, armed conflicts, banditry and natural disasters, but claimed the figure had now risen to about 35 million people.
“Instead of improving the situation, the crisis has worsened significantly under the current administration,” Obi stated.
He also claimed that the number of Nigerians living in extreme poverty had increased from an estimated 87 million before the current government came into office to nearly 140 million.
“No one disputes that this administration inherited serious challenges. However, leadership is measured not by the challenges inherited but by the results achieved,” he said.
According to Obi, the government must acknowledge that its response to the country’s economic difficulties has not been sufficient, as millions of Nigerians continue to face rising living costs and declining living standards.
He blamed the worsening situation on factors including insecurity, poor economic management, excessive government spending and inadequate investment in productive sectors of the economy.
“The combination of persistent insecurity, poor economic management, fiscal indiscipline, wasteful public expenditure, and inadequate investment in productive sectors has compounded the suffering of ordinary Nigerians,” Obi said.
The former presidential candidate urged the Federal Government to place greater emphasis on education, healthcare, agriculture, security and support for small businesses, saying such investments were necessary to create jobs, increase production and reduce poverty.