Presidential hopeful Peter Obi, from the Labour Party, has strongly criticized the transparency and accountability of the Bola Tinubu-led administration in response to claims of inheriting a bankrupt treasury. The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, recently asserted that the country was running on a deficit due to liabilities inherited from previous leaders.
Tinubu echoed these sentiments during a meeting with investors in Saudi Arabia, stating he also inherited liabilities from his predecessors. Obi, taking to social media, called this excuse a norm for the All Progressives Congress (APC), highlighting a lack of transparency.
Obi emphasized responsible governance, urging the government to disclose the extent of the inherited deficit. He drew parallels to a similar claim made by the APC in 2015, accusing the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) administration without specifics.
The former Anambra governor criticized the APC for escalating the country’s debt profile from N12.6 trillion in 2015 to N87 trillion in 2023, without evident improvements in critical sectors. Obi questioned the rationale behind the recently signed N2.17 trillion supplementary budget, particularly concerning expenditures in non-essential areas
Amidst concerns about the country’s financial state, Obi advocated for measurable and verifiable steps to address pressing issues such as security, healthcare, education, and poverty eradication. This revelation, according to Obi, underscores the urgent need to reduce the high cost of governance and prioritize essential sectors in a financially strained nation.
