Former Anambra governor and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has strongly criticised President Bola Tinubu’s administration for what he describes as wasteful spending amid widespread poverty in Nigeria.
Speaking during an interview with News Central TV, Obi highlighted the dire condition of 38 million Nigerians on the verge of extreme hunger, accusing the government of failing to address key development challenges.
“You cannot ask people to fast while you are feasting,” Obi said, referencing the government’s expenditure on luxury projects.
Among the wasteful expenses, he cited a new presidential jet costing $100 million, N21 billion for renovating the vice president’s lodge, and N15 billion allocated for building the National Assembly clinic.
Obi stressed that Nigeria, being the poverty capital of the world, is in crisis due to both human insecurity and food insecurity.
He urged the government to refocus its spending towards critical areas such as health, education, poverty alleviation, and agriculture.
“To deal with this, we need to invest in agriculture to solve hunger, unemployment, and inflation,” he stated.
Looking ahead, Obi hinted at a possible merger with other opposition parties to rescue Nigerians from the current economic and security challenges ahead of the 2027 presidential elections.
