By Ikugbadi Oluwasegun
Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, (NDC) in the 2027 general elections, has blasted President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, All Progressives Congress (APC), presidential candidate, over perceived insensitivity to hunger in the country.
While Obi admitted that there has always been hunger in Nigeria, as President Tinubu said, the NDC candidate berated the president that such a statement appeared insensitive to the plight of the millions of Nigerians who face worsening economic hardship. According to Obi, “More importantly, we must focus on the facts and the measurable outcomes of governance.”
Obi emphasized that before the present administration assumed office in 2023, an estimated 17 million Nigerians were facing acute food insecurity, primarily, caused by insecurity, armed conflict, widespread banditry, and devastating floods. He decried that, less than three years later, that number has risen to about 35 million Nigerians. “Instead of improving the situation, the crisis has worsened significantly under the current administration,” he pointed out.
Obi further said that the same trend is evident in poverty. According to him, “before this government took office in 2023, Nigeria’s extreme poverty was estimated at 87 million people.
“Current projections suggest that this number is approaching 140 million people, making Nigeria home to the largest population of people living in extreme poverty anywhere in the world.”
