Obi Accuses Tinubu of Misleading Nigerians With False Economic Data

• Jul 28, 2025

Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has accused President Bola Tinubu of using false statistics to cover up Nigeria’s deepening economic crisis.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, Obi said the president, who ran under the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 election, is now relying on questionable data to present a misleading picture of the country's economic state.

Obi recalled that during the 2023 campaign, Tinubu publicly mocked him for focusing too much on facts and figures. “In November 2022, while campaigning in Delta State, Tinubu said he was ashamed to call my name and mocked me, saying, ‘Na statistics we go chop? All I want is to put food on the table of Nigerians,’” Obi wrote.

The former Anambra State governor said two years into Tinubu’s four-year term, the economic situation has worsened, with hunger now affecting millions of Nigerians. He noted that the country is currently ranked among the hungriest nations globally, with many citizens unsure of where their next meal will come from.

Obi argued that instead of addressing the real issues, Tinubu’s government is using misleading data to paint a false image of progress. “President Tinubu is now overfeeding Nigerians with wrong statistics — from unemployment figures to inflation rates and now GDP rebasing — all to paint a rosy picture of our deteriorating economic and household conditions,” he stated.

He added that leadership should not be about showmanship or guesswork, but about character and competence. “Governance is not rocket science. It is not a gamble. It requires sincerity of purpose, character, competence, capacity and compassion,” Obi said.

The Labour Party leader’s comments come amid growing public frustration over rising inflation, unemployment, and food insecurity. His remarks also highlight ongoing political tension between the opposition and the current administration over how to tackle Nigeria’s economic challenges.

Obi has consistently pushed for data-driven leadership and transparency, calling for policies that are based on truth and focused on lifting citizens out of poverty.