Peter Obi Slams Tinubu’s Leadership Amid Rising Poverty in Nigeria

Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has clarified that his criticism of the current administration is not a personal attack on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu but a broader call to end what he describes as “bad leadership” that has left millions of Nigerians trapped in poverty and despair.

Speaking during a visit to Enugu following his return from a high-level engagement in Rome, where he briefly met President Tinubu at the inauguration Mass of Pope Leo XIV, Obi sought to dispel public misconceptions.

“I am not in conflict with the president. I am not fighting anyone,” he said.

“My fight is against bad governance, against hunger, against poverty, against children being out of school, and against the lack of healthcare for our people.”

The former governor of Anambra State did not mince words in his criticism of the federal government’s handling of essential services, particularly in health and education.

He raised alarm over Nigeria’s dangerously low health insurance coverage, stating that over 90% of citizens are without protection.

“This country has less than 10% health insurance.

It should be 100%,” he said, insisting that healthcare must be a basic right, not a privilege reserved for the wealthy.

Obi also drew attention to the government’s failure to enforce the Universal Basic Education (UBE) law, which mandates free education and public payment of teachers’ salaries at the foundational level.

“Under UBE, our children should go to school for free, and the government should pay their teachers,” he stated, referencing a mission-led school initiative in Enugu.

“What my Lord is doing here is helping the government. It is the government that should be supporting him.”

He described the administration’s spending priorities as “misplaced”, arguing they have contributed to a worsening cost-of-living crisis.

Citing recent World Bank data, Obi noted that over 75% of Nigerians in rural areas live below the poverty line, with urban centres increasingly affected.

“This shows that poverty is no longer a rural issue; it is now a national crisis,” he warned.

Obi also expressed concern over the widening gap between hard-working citizens and those he accuses of exploiting the system for personal gain.

“It is not easy to work in this country today,” he said during a visit to a Catholic nursing school. “Those who work are not appreciated, while those who don’t, many of them government officials and politicians, are stealing public funds.”

He called on the federal government to re-evaluate its priorities and focus on sectors that directly impact the lives of ordinary Nigerians: healthcare, education, and job creation.

“We must reassess what truly matters,” he said. “The decisions we make, what we build, what we fund, and where we focus must reflect the real needs of the people.”

Obi’s remarks reflect growing public frustration over rising food prices, decaying infrastructure, and an education system where children still learn under trees or drop out entirely.

Though often accused by critics of deepening political divisions, Obi maintains that his mission is rooted in advocacy for responsible governance and people-centred policies.

“No nation can develop if its people are sick, uneducated, and poor,” he concluded.

From grassroots communities in Enugu to global platforms, Peter Obi continues to champion a leadership model that places people, not politics, at the heart of national progress.