“Insensitive”: Peter Obi Slams Tinubu’s Comment That Hunger Existed Before He Was Born

(By The Political Razzmatazz Editorial Team | Political News)

The 2027 Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has strongly criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over his recent remarks concerning the severe economic hardship in the country.

During a recent meeting with members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria at the Presidential Villa, President Tinubu pushed back against complaints of widespread suffering by stating that hunger has always existed in Nigeria, even before he was born.

This comment has sparked massive outrage, and Peter Obi is leading the charge in condemning the President’s statement as insensitive and out of touch with the current reality.

A Dismissal of Current Realities

In a statement shared on his official social media pages, Peter Obi noted that he watched the President’s comments with deep concern. He argued that while hunger may not be entirely new to the country, dismissing the current level of suffering by pointing to history is deeply wrong.

“While it is true that hunger has been a part of human life and has existed in our country for decades, such a statement appears insensitive to the plight of the millions of Nigerians who face worsening economic hardship today.” — Peter Obi

Obi stressed that a government’s leadership should be judged strictly by the results it achieves and the measurable impact of its policies, not by the challenges it inherited.

The Alarming Figures

To back up his criticism, the former Anambra State governor provided a clear and alarming breakdown of how the economic crisis has deepened since the Tinubu administration assumed office in 2023:

• Acute Food Insecurity: Before this administration took over, about 17 million Nigerians were facing acute food insecurity. Today, that figure has more than doubled, rising to approximately 35 million people.
• Extreme Poverty: The number of citizens living in extreme poverty has jumped from an estimated 87 million in 2023 to nearly 140 million today.

Obi warned that these numbers now give Nigeria the unfortunate record of having the highest number of people living in extreme poverty globally.

A Call for Honest Acknowledgment

Rather than making excuses, Obi called on the Federal Government to honestly acknowledge that its response to the economic crisis has fallen far short of what the situation demands.

He blamed the worsening conditions on poor economic management, wasteful public spending, and inadequate investment in productive sectors. Moving forward, he urged the government to focus its resources on education, healthcare, agriculture, and support for small businesses to create jobs and reduce poverty.

What do you think about the President’s comment and Peter Obi’s response? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below!