Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has delivered a scathing assessment of Tinubu’s two-year administration, describing it as remote-controlled, corrupt, and dangerously detached from the daily realities of Nigerians.
Speaking during a national address in Abuja to mark June 12 Democracy Day, Obi said Tinubu’s leadership is defined by absenteeism, economic collapse, democratic decline, and worsening insecurity. “Governing by remote is not what Nigerians need, you need to go round and get firsthand,” Obi said.
He faulted Tinubu for prioritising foreign travel over domestic engagement, revealing that the president has embarked on over 30 international trips, spending nearly 150 days outside the country. Obi challenged him to tour Nigeria’s 36 states and witness the worsening living conditions of the people.
“Mr. President, you have already made over 30 international trips, spending nearly 150 days abroad. If you tour Nigeria’s 36 states and dedicate just 2 days to each, it would take only 72 days, less than half the time already spent outside the country,” Obi said.
The former Anambra State Governor declared that Nigeria was now “in decline in all its facets,” adding that basic indicators of development — such as education, health, and poverty reduction — have collapsed under Tinubu’s watch.
He warned that Nigeria could no longer be regarded as a true democracy, accusing the current administration of ignoring laws, manipulating electoral processes, and weaponising propaganda. “Our dear country Nigeria cannot be justifiably classified as a democratic country. The vital indicators of democracy are noticeably absent,” Obi declared.
He further stated that leaders who should never have been on the ballot now occupy public office, while citizens suffer. “Rules, regulations, and requirements to participate in elections or be elected are not followed. Consequently, individuals who are to be disqualified ab initio are now holding public offices,” he said.
Obi lamented the steep decline of Nigeria’s economy, stating that the GDP has crashed from $364 billion in May 2023 to $188 billion, while GDP per capita has fallen by nearly half — from $1,640 to $835.
He said over 129 million Nigerians are now living below the poverty line, while more than 18 million children are out of school, the highest number globally. Health centres, according to him, are in shambles, with some lacking basic delivery room toilets. “The United Nations recently reported Nigeria as the world’s worst country to give birth, with one death recorded every seven minutes,” he noted.
Obi also drew attention to the massive loss of jobs and businesses, revealing that over 7 million SMEs have shut down, 80 manufacturing firms have closed, and major multinationals like Shoprite, Diageo, and GSK have exited due to harsh conditions.
He described Tinubu’s anti-poor economic policies as a complete disaster, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy, which has failed to deliver any tangible improvement. “Despite the trillions of naira supposedly saved, this government has borrowed more than Yar’Adua, Jonathan, and Buhari combined,” Obi said, pegging the country’s debt at nearly ₦188 trillion.
Condemning what he called “brazen corruption,” Obi said the national budget has been turned into a criminal document. “Nigeria has now become a crime scene. Our national budget is routinely inflated and padded without consequences,” he said, citing BudgIT’s report of ₦7 trillion in questionable insertions into the 2025 budget.
In closing, Obi urged Tinubu to emulate the examples of former leaders like Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, who admitted to flaws in the process that brought him to power, and Goodluck Jonathan, who conceded defeat to protect Nigeria’s democracy. “We must end this troubling governance era that is filled with impunity, state capture, and absolute disregard for the rule of law,” Obi said.
