Obi Slams Tinubu’s Two-Year Reign, Cites ‘Democracy In Decline’

Labour Party Presidential Candidate Peter Obi delivered a scathing assessment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s first two years in office during a national broadcast on Democracy Day, painting a bleak picture of “Democracy in Decline.”

In a speech titled ‘Democracy in Decline Reflecting on Two Years of Tinubu’s Government, Obi scored low ratings across key sectors, ranging from corruption and economic management to security and political integrity. He called on President Tinubu to take a less detached approach to leadership.

“Governing by remote is not what Nigerians need,” Obi stated, urging the President to spend less time on international trips and more time touring the country to witness the realities firsthand.

“Mr. President, you have already made over 30 international trips, spending nearly 150 days abroad.

Tour Nigeria’s 36 states and dedicate just 2 days to tour each state, it would take only 72 days for you to do so, less than half the time you have already spent in other areas of the country on foreign trips.”

Obi urged President Tinubu to emulate the late President Umaru Yar’Adua’s humility in admitting electoral flaws and President Goodluck Jonathan’s grace in conceding defeat to “save our nascent democracy,” he insisted that “we must end this troubling governance era that is filled with impunity, state capture, and absolute disregard for the rule of law.”

The Labour Party figurehead lamented the current state of affairs, asserting, “In our present state, our dear country, Nigeria, cannot be justly classified as a democratic country.

The vital indications of democracy are noticeably absent. Some do not even exist. Democracy is said to be ‘a government of the people, by the people, and for the people,’ yet none of these three measures exist in our democracy today.”

He criticised the government’s alleged focus on manipulating narratives and “weaponising governance” rather than demonstrating genuine accountability. “It is most troubling that in its two years in office, the present government has brought the nation to the point where our leaders now celebrate and endorse failure, lies, and propaganda,” Obi stated.

Obi painted a disturbing picture of Nigeria grappling with “worsening and worrisome insecurity, widespread corruption, hunger, and general despondency,” highlighting the collapse of key indicators like education, healthcare, and poverty alleviation.

He presented a series of stark statistics to support his claims:

GDP Decline: Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has plummeted from $364 billion on May 29th, 2023, to $188 billion as of today, a nearly 50% decrease.
GDP Per Capita Drop: GDP per capita has fallen from $1,640 in May 2023 to approximately $835, a devastating 50% reduction.
Poverty Surge: The number of Nigerians living in multi-dimensional poverty has increased from 38.9% to 54%, with roughly 129 million now below the poverty line.
Out-of-School Children: Over 18.3 million Nigerian children are out of school, making it the highest number globally.
Healthcare Crisis: Less than 20% of the nation’s 30,000+ Primary Health Care Centres are fully functional, with the UN reporting Nigeria as the world’s worst country to give birth.
Business Closures: Approximately 7 million Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and over 80 manufacturing companies have shut down in the past two years, while over 15 major multinationals (including GlaxoSmithKline, Diageo, Procter & Gamble, and Shoprite) have exited Nigeria.
Hunger Crisis: Nigeria’s hunger situation has worsened, and it is now ranked among the hungriest countries in the world.
Mental Health Crisis: Over 20 million Nigerians are reportedly affected by mental illness due to rising stress and anxiety levels.

Obi also criticized the government’s borrowing practices, alleging that despite trillions of naira purportedly saved from fuel subsidy removal, the Tinubu administration has borrowed more than the combined administrations of Presidents Yar’Adua, Jonathan, and Buhari. He further condemned “brazen corruption,” pointing to the alleged padding of the 2025 national budget as a key example.

Obi concluded his address by lamenting the deterioration of power supply and the rising unemployment rate, accusing the government of using propaganda to distort the true state of affairs.