Peter Obi, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of lacking the ability to govern and called for an explanation of public borrowing, BusinessDay reported, ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 election.
Obi made the remarks Thursday at a town hall in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State. BusinessDay reported that he asked Tinubu to visit the city and account for his administration’s record over the past three years, including how money raised through borrowing had been used since he took office.
Obi urged voters to choose based on each candidate’s record and ability to lead, saying regional roots and ethnicity should not determine their support. He told residents not to back him simply because he came from the South-East or was Igbo, according to BusinessDay.
Obi also criticized Tinubu’s time abroad. He alleged that the president had spent more than 260 days outside Nigeria and said Tinubu had not set aside as many as 36 days to travel around the country. “He should pack his things, go home and rest,” Obi said, according to BusinessDay.
Obi said a government he led would treat national unity, security, corruption, education, hunger and health care as urgent concerns. He promised to follow the federal character principle in public appointments. Obi said the law should apply to anyone found guilty of taking public money, including a president, BusinessDay reported.
For security, Obi pledged to equip security agencies and pursue kidnappers and other criminals, including those who abduct schoolchildren. He also said his administration would work to bring more children into school and help farmers expand production for domestic use and export markets. He promised working health facilities in every political ward across Nigeria.
