Peter Obi, Labour Party’s flagbearer in the 2023 presidential election, has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration of being ineffective in implementing economic policies.
Obi, a former governor of Anambra state, revealed this in an interview on Arise News Prime Time monitored by Legit.ng on Tuesday, March 31.
He criticised Tinubu’s decision to float the naira in the absence of productivity, while also increasing the country’s debt profile and the cost of debt servicing, which, he said, was above the budgetary allocation for critical sectors like health and education.
Obi asserted that if he were the president, the country would have experienced drastic positive changes in two years as he would have injected money into productivity that would lead to a more productive and sustainable economy.
He stated:
“The President that is there today, how many years has he stayed? Two years, and look at the turn of things. It means you can change things in two years. That means if I were there, you would have seen considerable change in critical areas. I would tackle corruption head-on, and I would reduce the cost of governance. You would have seen borrowed money invested in critical areas.”
Furthermore, he criticised the high interest rate under Tinubu, asserting that the situation had made it difficult for companies operating in the country to thrive.
“Also, we have a country that is in huge debt. The current administration met a debt of about N17tn; in two years, it has moved to over N170tn.
“The cost of debt servicing is above the budget for critical areas like health, and education. 70 percent of our primary health care centres are not functioning. I would fix our PHCs and primary schools if I were president,” Obi added.
Peter Obi speaks on meetings with Atiku, others
Meanwhile, Obi, who confirmed that he is still a member of the LP, stated that he is working with Atiku and others for the benefit of Nigeria.
He stated:
“Elections are won and lost by the votes of the people. All these things people are talking about are because we are not in a democracy. We are talking about working together for the sake of the country. That is why I am not desperate to be President, but I am desperate to see Nigeria work.
“Today, nobody is producing anything. How can you do business when the interest rate is over 40%? So, we need to do the right thing, and we can do it.”
Bwala claims Peter Obi still suffering from 2023 defeat
In another development, reported that presidential aide Daniel Bwala said Peter Obi, is still suffering from the defeat of the 2023 election.
The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication said Nigerians dodged a bullet with Obi’s defeat.
Bwala said Obi is struggling to convince his followers about his agreement to play second fiddle in the 2027.
