The Nigeria Democratic Congress has replied to President Bola Tinubu’s criticism of Peter Obi. Tinubu had mocked Obi over the erosion crisis in Anambra State during his tenure. The President spoke at an APC rally in Akwa Ibom. He did not name Obi. He said the former governor ran away from tackling erosion in Anambra, while he confronted the Atlantic Ocean in Lagos.
Tinubu and Obi have traded barbs since the 2023 election. Obi was Anambra governor from 2006 to 2014. His record on erosion is contested. The NDC says he attracted the World Bank-assisted Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project. Tinubu was Lagos governor from 1999 to 2007. His record on infrastructure and debt is also contested. The exchange is part of the 2027 campaign.
The NDC’s spokesperson, Chiogo Constance Ikokwu, issued a statement. She said Obi’s mission is bigger than Anambra. “The mission of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso is much bigger: to stop the rapid erosion of Nigeria’s commonwealth,” she said. She said Nigerians deserve to know what happened to the fiscal benefits of subsidy removal. She cited frequent borrowing, poor debt-service ratios and underfunded health and education. She said Obi and Kwankwaso will not allow Nigeria to keep borrowing without corresponding benefits.
The statement compared the two governors’ financial records. It said Obi left the equivalent of $500 million in investment and local and foreign currency when he left office in 2014. It said Lagos State’s external debt was about $190.43 million at the end of 2007 when Tinubu handed over. It also accused Tinubu of eroding Lagos public finance by signing a pension law granting former governors lifetime benefits.
The APC has not responded. The Tinubu campaign has not commented. The exchange is part of a widening war of words. The 2027 election is in January.
Winners: The NDC, which gained a platform. Obi, whose record is defended. The party’s campaign, which gained visibility. Losers: Tinubu, whose record is challenged. The APC, which faces a counter-narrative. Voters, who hear competing claims. The political process, which is reduced to duelling statistics.
Bottom Line: Tinubu mocked Obi over erosion. The NDC replied with a comparison of debts and savings. Both records are contested. The election will decide whose version voters believe.