Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2027 election, has criticised President Bola Tinubu over his comment that hunger has always existed in Nigeria, describing the remark as insensitive to the plight of millions of Nigerians facing worsening economic hardship.
Obi, in a statement titled “Hunger and the Insensitivity of Mr. President,” said he watched with “deep concern” the statement made by Tinubu when Catholic bishops visited him at the Presidential Villa. While acknowledging that hunger has existed in Nigeria for decades, the former Anambra governor said the government should focus on the measurable outcomes of its policies rather than make statements that appear to dismiss the severity of the current crisis.
The NDC candidate said an estimated 17 million Nigerians were facing acute food insecurity before the current administration assumed office in 2023, largely due to insecurity, armed conflict, banditry and devastating floods. He claimed that the figure has since risen to about 35 million, arguing that “instead of improving the situation, the crisis has worsened significantly under the current administration.”
Obi also expressed concern over the country’s poverty situation, claiming that Nigeria’s extreme poverty figure, estimated at 87 million people before the Tinubu administration took office, is now projected to be approaching 140 million. He said the development has left Nigeria with the largest population of people living in extreme poverty anywhere in the world.
“No one disputes that this administration inherited serious challenges,” Obi said. “However, leadership is measured not by the challenges inherited but by the results achieved.” He argued that the government must acknowledge that its response has fallen short of what the country’s circumstances demanded, with millions of Nigerians allegedly pushed deeper into poverty and hunger.
According to him, persistent insecurity, poor economic management, fiscal indiscipline, wasteful public expenditure and inadequate investment in productive sectors have combined to worsen the hardship experienced by ordinary Nigerians. He urged the government to redirect its priorities towards policies capable of improving the living conditions of citizens.
“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,” Obi said. “That remains my commitment to the Nigerian people.”
