The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2027 general elections, Peter Obi, has berated President Bola Tinubu over his remarks that hunger existed in Nigeria before he was born.
Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, condemned Tinubu’s administration for worsening poverty and food insecurity across the country.
President Tinubu elicited widespread outrage from Nigerians and opposition figures after he said during a meeting at the State House, Abuja, with Catholic bishops that there had been hunger in the country before his birth.
“Before I was born, there was hunger in this country, and I have no control over the population development of Nigeria’s trajectory,” Tinubu said.
Reacting to the President’s remarks in a statement shared on X on Friday, Obi described Tinubu’s comments as insensitive, arguing that while hunger had existed in Nigeria before the President’s birth, the focus should be on whether his government had improved or worsened the situation since assuming office.
“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.
“While it is true that hunger has been a part of human life and has existed in our country for decades, such a statement appears insensitive to the plight of the millions of Nigerians who face worsening economic hardship today.
“More importantly, we must focus on the facts and the measurable outcomes of governance.”
He argued that available data showed a sharp deterioration in food security under the current administration.
“Before the present administration assumed office in 2023, an estimated 17 million Nigerians were facing acute food insecurity, primarily caused by insecurity, armed conflict, widespread banditry, and devastating floods,” he said.
“Today, less than three years later, that number has risen to about 35 million Nigerians. Instead of improving the situation, the crisis has worsened significantly under the current administration.”
Obi also noted that the country’s poverty level has expanded dramatically since Tinubu took office.
“The same trend is evident in poverty. Before this government took office in 2023, Nigeria’s extreme poverty was estimated at 87 million people,” Obi said.
“Current projections suggest that this number is approaching 140 million people, making Nigeria home to the largest population of people living in extreme poverty anywhere in the world.”
While acknowledging that Tinubu inherited significant economic and security challenges, Obi insisted that governments should ultimately be judged by their performance rather than the difficulties they inherited.
“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.
“The government must honestly acknowledge that its response has fallen far short of what the situation demanded, with millions more Nigerians pushed deeper into poverty and hunger.”
He further blamed the country’s worsening living conditions on what he described as policy failures and misplaced priorities.
“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.
“A responsible government must prioritise investment in education, healthcare, agriculture, security, and small businesses while pursuing policies that create jobs, expand production, and lift people out of poverty. That remains my commitment to the Nigerian people.”
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