Peter Obi Slams Tinubu Over Hunger Comments Amid Rising Economic Hardship

(Peter Obi. Phto by Arise News)

Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his recent remarks on hunger in Nigeria, branding them as insensitive to the deepening economic misery that millions of Nigerians are enduring.

Obi expressed alarm in a statement released on Friday about Tinubu’s remarks to Catholic bishops that hunger existed in Nigeria even before he was born.

According to Obi, while hunger has long been a reality in Nigeria, the President’s recent remarks failed to reflect the true severity of the current economic hardship facing Nigerians.

He said he watched with deep concern President Bola Tinubu’s statement to the Catholic Bishops who visited his office, in which the President noted that hunger has always existed in Nigeria, even before he was born.

Arguing that while it is true hunger has long been part of the country’s history, such a statement appears insensitive to the plight of millions of Nigerians grappling with worsening economic hardship today, stressing the need to focus instead on facts and measurable outcomes of governance.

Obi argued that food insecurity has worsened significantly since the current administration took office in 2023, noting that about 17 million Nigerians were facing acute food insecurity before the administration assumed power, a figure he said has since risen to about 35 million, insisting that rather than improve, the crisis has deepened considerably under the current government.

The former Anambra State governor also claimed that poverty levels have risen during this period, alleging that the number of Nigerians living in extreme poverty increased from an estimated 87 million in 2023 to nearly 140 million.

While acknowledging that the Tinubu administration inherited significant economic and security challenges, he insisted that leadership should ultimately be judged by its ability to improve conditions.

Stressing that no one disputes the challenges inherited, but that leadership is measured by results achieved rather than excuses, adding that the government must honestly admit its response has fallen short of what the situation demanded, with millions more Nigerians pushed deeper into poverty and hunger as a result.

He attributed the worsening situation to persistent insecurity, poor economic management, fiscal indiscipline, wasteful public spending and inadequate investment in productive sectors.

Obi called on the Federal Government to prioritise investment in education, healthcare, agriculture, security and support for small businesses, while pursuing policies that would create jobs, boost production and lift people out of poverty, reaffirming that this remains his commitment to the Nigerian people.

Hunger and the Insensitivity of Mr. President

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.

While it is true that hunger has been a…

— Peter Obi (@PeterObi) July 31, 2026