How many Nigerians have been lifted out of poverty? Obi asks Tinubu

On Saturday, Peter Obi, the presidential candidate for the Nigeria Democratic Congress, questioned President Bola Tinubu on the number of Nigerians who have been lifted out of poverty since Tinubu's administration began. Obi demanded that Tinubu provide details on how many children who were out of school have returned to classrooms and how many functional primary healthcare centers have been constructed.

He urged Tinubu to account for the resources under his administration's control, including the ₦15.8tn saved by removing the petrol subsidy, over $100bn in loans, increased tax revenues, and government earnings that exceeded the administration's targets. Obi also challenged Tinubu to explain how his administration has improved electricity supply and security, given his promise that Nigerians would not vote for him if power supply issues persisted.

The statement was made by Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, as he contended the 2023 presidential election on the Labour Party platform, securing about 6.1 million votes. He later joined the Nigeria Democratic Congress and is set to run against Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, scheduled for January 16.