Democracy Day: Tinubu Governing by Politics, Not for Nigerians — Peter Obi
Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s administration for prioritising political interests over governance, accusing it of hypocrisy and failing to address the country’s growing socio-economic challenges.
Obi made the remarks during a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, as Nigeria marked Democracy Day on June 12. He began by honouring the legacy of the late MKO Abiola and other pro-democracy activists, acknowledging their sacrifices for the nation’s democratic journey. However, he expressed concern that the current leadership was not upholding the same values.
“It is deeply troubling that under the current administration, Nigeria cannot be said to be in a democracy, even though the current president was part of the struggle to bring back democracy,” Obi said.
He described the state of the nation as “depressing,” citing deteriorating conditions in the economy, security, healthcare, education, and production sec
"In 2023, about 38.9% of Nigerians lived below the poverty line, but it has now increased to 54%. Less than 10% of primary health care centres across the country are functioning. I have travelled to several states in the last six months and I have had to make interventions in maternity wards where giving birth is a 50/50 chance of survival for both mother and child,” he revealed.
Obi further noted that food insecurity has escalated, pushing many into extreme poverty and what he described as “professional begging.”
“Due to this, the World Health Organisation released a report saying over 20 million Nigerians have mental health issues,” he added.
Criticising the government’s economic management, Obi accused the administration of excessive borrowing, which he claimed has raised Nigeria’s debt to N188 trillion.
“Yet such monies have not been used to better the lot of the people as corruption is now at an all-time high, with the national assembly blatantly padding the 2025 budget,” he alleged.
On the issue of power supply, Obi pointed out the irony of increased tariffs amidst worsening electricity availability.
“Nigerians now pay more tariffs for more darkness. This is against the president’s promise during his campaign, where he said if he didn’t give Nigerians power in four years, they should not vote for him for a second term.”
Calling for immediate reforms, Obi urged President Tinubu to uphold the rule of law and return the country to true democratic governance. He criticised the president’s frequent foreign trips and urged him to connect directly with citizens.
“If he spends the same amount of time going round Nigeria, he would have seen the suffering,” he added, referencing the president’s reported 150 days spent outside the country in the past two years.
He also emphasised the urgent need to address insecurity, particularly to enable farmers to return to their farms which he described as the first step to reviving the economy.
Finally, Obi called on Nigerians not to lose hope and encouraged the federal government to support local manufacturers by reducing production costs, stressing that production must thrive for the country to grow.
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