The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi,has said Nigeria has recorded little or no rise in productivity despite the removal of the fuel subsidy and heavy borrowing that has pushed the national debt above ₦165 trillion.
Obi made the remarks on Monday, 26th October, at the inauguration of the party’s campaign council in Abuja.
He said Nigeria, once seen as the giant of Africa, has become the world’s poverty capital, with more than 140 million people, over 60% of the population, living in multidimensional poverty.
According to him, corruption is widespread, insecurity affects every part of the country, and unemployment and inequality are at record levels. He said Nigerians are facing severe and avoidable hardship.
Obi accused President Bola Tinubu of presiding over three years of corruption and duplicity that have deepened poverty.
He claimed the president has created the largest number of poor people in the world, adding that about 16 million Nigerians were made extremely poor this year alone.
He also criticised Tinubu for blaming past and opposition leaders for hunger and poverty during the launch of his re-election campaign in Kaduna last Saturday.
In Obi’s words, the president lacks the competence, capacity, character, compassion and commitment to fix problems he created.
Obi said corruption has become more pervasive under the All Progressives Congress (APC) government, with no state institution spared since 2023.
He further alleged that Nigeria has fallen into a crisis of values, with budgets no longer credible and laws forged.
The NDC candidate said that despite Tinubu’s promise to fix electricity, the country now records the lowest level of electricity consumption.
He noted that without reliable power, businesses cannot grow, hospitals cannot offer dependable services, schools struggle to function, and households carry added financial burdens.
He promised an electricity reform programme built on reliability, affordability, investment and accountability.
Obi said his administration would work with federal and state institutions, regulators, operators and investors to tackle weaknesses in power generation, transmission and distribution.
He also said Nigeria is more divided, more terrorised and more insecure than ever before.
Obi said engagements with Nigerians across all segments of society showed a clear demand for a more productive country where good governance is visible, firmly established and embraced as part of national culture.
Together with his running mate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, whom he called his “very dear elder brother,” Obi urged party members and all Nigerians to join what he described as a crusade to rebuild the nation.
He outlined a vision of a united and fair country that prioritises citizens’ security and welfare, holds public officials accountable, and ensures every child attend school and learns to read and write.
He added that no Nigerian should live in a displaced persons camp and that corruption must no longer weaken national institutions.
“A New Nigeria is our vision. A New Nigeria is our mission,” he declared.
