Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate for the 2023 elections, has sharply criticized the Bola Tinubu administration for its failure to tackle the escalating issues of insecurity and poverty plaguing Nigeria.
In a New Year statement released on Thursday, Obi highlighted that more than 250 million Nigerians are currently living in poverty, a situation that has worsened since Tinubu’s inauguration on May 29, 2023, following his controversial announcement about the removal of the fuel subsidy.
“Nigeria continues to hold the unfortunate title of one of the poverty capitals of the globe, with over 100 million individuals living in extreme poverty and upwards of 150 million facing multidimensional poverty,” Obi remarked.
The former governor of Anambra State lamented that the circumstances have significantly deteriorated in the 18 months since the current administration took office.
He expressed deep concern over the persistent violence in the country, pointing out that ruthless terrorists from various factions are engaging in kidnappings for ransom, murdering innocent people, and forcibly seizing land. This has resulted in many survivors, including the spouses and children of those killed, becoming homeless or forced into Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps.
“Nigeria stands as one of the most dangerous and least peaceful countries globally, with numerous communities and families uprooted from their homes and now residing in IDP camps,” Obi stated.
“According to the Global Peace Index (GPI), Nigeria ranks 143rd out of 163 nations regarding peacefulness, which underscores a significant level of distress within the country,” he added.
