Obi to Tinubu: You were elected to alleviate suffering, not witness protests

Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has told President Bola Tinubu that he and his team were elected to alleviate the suffering of Nigerians, not just witness protests. Obi, in a statement on Monday, criticised Tinubu’s nationwide address for not providing concrete solutions to the country’s problems.

“Mr President, you and your team were elected not just to witness the protests but to alleviate the suffering of the people,” Obi said.

Thousands of Nigerians took to major metropolitan streets across Nigeria, such as Lagos and Abuja, to pressure the government to reverse what they see as harmful economic policies.

The unrest, dubbed #EndbadGovernanceinNigeria, follows Tinubu’s announcement last year to eliminate fuel subsidies and liberalise foreign exchange, which has raised living costs and driven inflation to record highs.

In a nationwide address on Sunday morning, Tinubu defended his decision to remove petrol subsidies, stating, “These decisions I made were necessary if we must reverse the decades of economic mismanagement that didn’t serve us well.”

Obi, however, requests that Tinubu reduce the repetition of how dire the situation is, noting that “every Nigerian is already aware of the extent of the problems.”

He told the president to declare a war on insecurity, the economy, poverty, unemployment, and the power sector.

Obi added that “persistent issues of corruption and mismanagement of public funds must be addressed decisively. As is done in other nations during such times, regular briefings, whether quarterly or biannually, from the President are essential to clearly communicate the visible and verifiable measures being taken to revive the nation from its current state of hopelessness, restore hope, and rebuild trust in our country.

“I also humbly request that the President reduce the repetition of how dire the situation is; every Nigerian is already aware of the extent of the problems. Mr President, you and your team were elected not just to witness the protests but to alleviate the suffering of the people.”

He also urged Tinubu to surround himself with advisors who will present him with the unvarnished truth, rather than sycophants who may be shielding him from the reality of the situation.