Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, reaffirmed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has upheld his campaign pledges to Nigerians.
Obi made this assertion during a Democracy Day interview on Arise TV.
During the election campaign, Tinubu had committed to building a Nigeria that prioritizes job creation for the youth, offering decent wages and improving living standards.
He emphasized the need for Nigeria to increase local manufacturing, innovation, and self-sufficiency in goods and services, aiming to transform the country into a creator rather than just a consumer nation.
Also, Tinubu pledged to enhance Nigeria’s export capabilities while reducing imports to strengthen the economy and improve citizens’ livelihoods.
Despite the challenges, Tinubu had consistently stated, “I will continue from where Buhari stopped.”
Peter Obi, who competed against Tinubu and finished third according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), acknowledged that Tinubu has fulfilled his commitment to follow in the footsteps of his predecessor, referencing his promises during the campaign.
“I think President Tinubu has performed exceptionally well in his first year in office. I’ll say that President Tinubu has kept his campaign promises,” Obi said.
“Throughout his campaign, he consistently maintained that he would continue from where Buhari stopped and that he’s done very well.
“I’ll give him excellent passes. Dollar was N450, it’s now N1500. Fuel was about N238, it’s now about N700; diesel was N844, it’s now N1415; a bag of rice was N30000-N35000, it’s now about N80,000; a bag of beans was similar, N30,000-35000, it’s now about N90,000; a tuber of yam was about N2000-N3000, but now it’s about N10,000; tomatoe basket was about N40,000 and now it’s about N150,000; electricity was N66 per kilowatt but now it’s about N200, you can go on and on.
“Even bread, which is a basic thing other countries are subsidizing, small-medium bread was about N450 but is now N900. The big one is about N1500.”
Other promises made by Tinubu include, but not limited to, “assisting our ever-toiling farmers, through enlightened agricultural policy that promotes productivity and assures decent incomes, so that farmers can support their families and feed the nation; modernising and expanding public infrastructure; emboldening and supporting our young people and women by harnessing emerging sectors such as the digital economy, entertainment and culture, tourism, train and give economic opportunity to the poorest and most vulnerable among us; generate, transmit and distribute sufficient, affordable electricity; make basic healthcare, education, and housing accessible and affordable for all; and most importantly, establish a bold and assertive policy that will create a strong yet adaptive national security architecture and action to obliterate terror, kidnapping, banditry, and all other forms of violent extremism from the face of our nation.”