-
NDC’s 2027 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, demands accountability from President Bola Tinubu over ₦15.8 trillion reportedly saved from petrol subsidy removal and more than $100 billion in borrowings.
-
Reacts to Tinubu’s overnight stay in Akwa Ibom on Friday, urging the President to visit the remaining 33 states and explain his administration’s performance.
-
Seeks details of poverty reduction, out-of-school children returned to school, functional primary healthcare centres and improvements in electricity supply.
-
Questions the government’s handling of insecurity, insisting that Nigerians deserve to know how public resources entrusted to the administration have been spent.
November 07, (THEWILL) – The 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has challenged President Bola Tinubu to account for the ₦15.8 trillion reportedly saved from petrol subsidy removal, more than $100 billion in borrowings and increased government revenues since his administration assumed office.
Obi made the demand in a statement posted on his X account on Saturday, reacting to Tinubu’s overnight stay in Akwa Ibom State on Friday.
In the statement titled ‘Good Day, Mr President: Nigerians Deserve Accountability’, Obi congratulated the President on spending a night in a state outside Lagos and Abuja but urged him to extend such visits to the remaining 33 states of the federation.
He said the President should use the opportunity to interact with Nigerians and explain what his administration had done with the resources available to the Federal Government.
“I congratulate you on spending a night in one of Nigeria’s states outside Lagos and Abuja. I hope you enjoyed the warmth, hospitality, and delicious cuisine of Akwa Ibom, which I am sure is even better than those of the destinations where you have spent over 260 days outside Nigeria since coming into office”, he said.
Obi expressed hope that the visit would encourage Tinubu to travel to other parts of the country, spend time with citizens and give an account of his administration’s performance.
He specifically demanded explanations on the utilisation of the ₦15.8 trillion reportedly saved from petrol subsidy removal, more than $100 billion borrowed by the government, increased revenues from taxation and additional earnings which the administration said had exceeded its revenue target last year.
The NDC presidential candidate said Nigerians deserved to know how these resources had translated into improvements in their living conditions.
He asked the President to provide figures showing the number of Nigerians lifted out of poverty since the administration came into office, as well as the number of out-of-school children returned to classrooms.
Obi also demanded details of the number of functional primary healthcare centres built by the government and the extent to which electricity supply had improved.
READ ALSO:
On the power sector, he recalled Tinubu’s promise that Nigerians should not vote for him if he failed to fix electricity supply.
“They also deserve an explanation of how much electricity supply has improved, especially given your promise that if you do not fix power, Nigerians should not vote for you”, he said.
On security, Obi said the government also owed Nigerians an explanation of its efforts to secure the country, which he noted remained among the most terrorised countries in the world.
He insisted that citizens deserved to know what had been done to address insecurity and the results achieved with the resources committed to the sector.
“Mr President, Nigerians deserve answers. They deserve to know what has been done with the resources entrusted to your government”, he said.
Obi said the Nigeria he envisaged would be built on accountability, transparency and the measurable impact of public resources on the lives of citizens.
He stressed that the success of government spending should be reflected in tangible improvements in the welfare of Nigerians.
“The New Nigeria we want to build will be based on accountability, transparency, and the physical, measurable impact of our public resources on the lives of citizens”, he said.
The former Anambra State governor ended his statement by reaffirming his belief that a new Nigeria was possible.
Tinubu assumed office on May 29, 2023, and announced the removal of the petrol subsidy during his inauguration, a policy that was followed by significant increases in petrol prices and the cost of transportation and other essential goods and services.
The administration has since pursued measures to increase government revenue, including tax reforms, while relying on domestic and external borrowing to finance public expenditure.
Obi, who contested the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the Labour Party, subsequently joined the NDC and emerged as its presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
