Peter Obi Accuses Tinubu of Misleading Nigerians with False Economic Data as Poverty Deepens
Report by Okafor Joseph and Rita Uzuh for SpringnewsNG Media Limited.
Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has strongly criticised President Bola Tinubu for allegedly manipulating economic data to mislead Nigerians while millions continue to suffer under severe poverty and hunger.
In a post on his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday, Obi referenced a 2022 campaign remark made by Tinubu in Delta State. At the time, Tinubu dismissed Obi’s emphasis on statistics, saying, “Na statistics we go chop? All I want is to put food on the table of Nigerians.” Although Tinubu did not mention Obi directly, the jab was widely perceived as aimed at him.
However, two years into President Tinubu’s administration, Obi says the country’s economic situation has worsened significantly. “Now, two years into his four-year tenure, Nigeria is classified as one of the hungriest nations in the world, with millions of Nigerians not knowing where their next meal will come from,” Obi stated.
The former Anambra State governor accused the Tinubu administration of feeding Nigerians false information on key economic indicators. According to him, the federal government is using inaccurate data on unemployment, inflation, and GDP growth to create an illusion of progress.
“President Tinubu is now overfeeding Nigerians with wrong statistics—wrong unemployment figures, wrong inflation figures, and now GDP debasing—all to put a positive spin on our deteriorating economic and household conditions,” Obi said.
Reaffirming his views on leadership, Obi declared that governance must be grounded in truth and integrity. “Governance is not rocket science, and it’s not a gamble. Like I’ve always reiterated, it requires sincerity of purpose, character, competence, capacity, and compassion,” he added.
Obi’s latest remarks come amid increasing skepticism over the credibility of economic data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). Some experts and observers have raised concerns that the figures are being politically influenced to downplay the country’s economic crisis.
