Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has condemned the deplorable living conditions of the over 1,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in a camp in Sokoto State.

In a post on his X-handle yesterday after visiting the Ramin Kura camp during his two-day stay in the state, Obi criticised the federal government’s handling of the camp, saying that it was unacceptable for displaced Nigerians to live in makeshift shelters and thatched rooms without basic amenities.

He disclosed that some of the shelters were overcrowded, with as many as 10 persons crammed into a room, just as the camp lacked adequate toilet facilities, a primary healthcare centre and a basic school for the children.

Noting that his visit to the Sokoto camp was his 12th visit to an IDP camp, the former governor of Anambra State insisted that “as long as even one Nigerian lives in an IDP camp, we are all internally displaced.”

Consequently, he urged the government to urgently improve the conditions at the camp and also address the insecurity that forced residents to abandon their communities.

According to him, the government’s goal should be to restore security and enable the displaced Nigerians to return safely to their ancestral homes.

He also urged the country’s political leaders to spend their holidays within Nigeria to witness firsthand the difficulties faced by vulnerable citizens.

Meanwhile, the Minority Leader of Sokoto State House of Assembly, Abubakar Magaji, said he was yet to see any significant development from the President Bola Tinubu administration.

Addressing newsmen in Sokoto yesterday, Magaji, who represents Bodinga North Constituency on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), urged the federal government to address the infrastructure deficits and other development challenges.

He also raised concern over insecurity, claiming that 21 of the state’s 23 local council areas remain vulnerable to security threats, with only Sokoto North and Sokoto South councils relatively safe.