Reno Omokri, a former aide to President Goodluck Jonathan, has criticised Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, following his call for President Bola Tinubu to visit all 36 states to assess poverty levels in 2025.
Earlier, The New Daily Prime reported that Obi, the former governor of Anambra State, alleged during a media chat in Abuja that Tinubu had made over 30 overseas trips since assuming office.
The 63-year-old politician argued that these trips had not allowed the President to assess the poverty faced by citizens.
Obi proposed that Tinubu dedicate at least 20 per cent of his 2025 calendar—approximately 72 days—to visiting each of Nigeria’s 36 states for two days to better understand the economic and security challenges across the country.
In response to Obi’s remarks, Omokri, a staunch supporter of Tinubu, took to his X page, calling Obi’s comments “just another indication that his only New Year resolves to continue being the ambassador for Gbajue, fake statistics, and propaganda.”
Omokri further pointed out that Obi doubled the poverty rate in Anambra during his tenure and, therefore, lacked the moral authority to criticise Tinubu, who, according to Omokri, is actively working to reduce poverty in Nigeria.
Omokri said, “First of all, Peter Obi did not mention the Governors or local government chairmen. This is even as federal allocation to states has doubled under Tinubu, and local governments now receive allocations directly after Tinubu wins them autonomy. He went straight for the jugular and directly attacked the President.
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“However, other than addressing the inflation rate, which the President has promised to do in his New Year speech, and stabilising monetary policy, which is ongoing, most of the work involved in lifting people out of poverty is at the state level. But Obi is fixated on President Tinubu because he wants the President’s has-power and the ability to wield it well.”
He stated that while Tinubu, as governor of Lagos, succeeded in reducing poverty, Obi assumed office as governor of Anambra when the state’s poverty rate stood at 41.4 per cent, which rose to 53.7 per cent during his tenure.
He attributed this to Obi’s decision to withhold the state’s allocations from infrastructure development, opting instead to deposit them in his accounts, where the interest earned lined his pockets.
“In his eight years as Governor, Mr. Obi did not initiate, start, complete, or commission even one nursery, primary, secondary school, or university. But Obi used Anambra state funds to build beer refineries that his family has interests in.
“Therefore, Mr Obi is the wrong person to advise about fighting poverty. Obi is the problem. President Tinubu is the solution. If not that they are blinded by ethnicity, Obidients have more than enough reasons not to take Mr Obi seriously anymore”, added Omokri.
He argued that Obi is oblivious to the progress unfolding in Nigeria, stating, “When President Tinubu assumed office, not a single refinery in Nigeria was operational, and the country relied entirely on imports to meet its refined petroleum needs.”
He emphasised that, within just eighteen months of President Tinubu’s leadership, three major refineries—Dangote, Port Harcourt, and Warri—became operational.
He also pointed out that Nigeria has transitioned into a net exporter of Premium Motor Spirit, marking the first Yuletide season in which Nigerians have benefited from both fuel availability and reduced fuel prices.
“Mr. Obi talked about the President’s foreign travels. But they are to bring investments to Nigeria, and it is working. FDI has increased by 28% under Tinubu. Plus, Tinubu’s son, Seyi, is here investing in Nigeria for Nigerians. Where is Peter Obi’s son, Peter Oseloka Obi? And what is he doing, and who is he ‘investing’ in in London? Or is Obi ashamed of his son’s doings? Nigerians should note that Peter Obi’s latest attack on President Tinubu is just another power grab by a political desperado.
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“When asked about the so-called merger between his Labour Party, the Peoples Democratic Party, and the New Nigeria Peoples Party, he said that, though there was not one yet, these parties must come together to ‘defeat the APC’.Just look at that: Not to uplift more Nigerians out of poverty, nor to end insecurity, not to reduce out-of-school children, not to boost local manufacturing or to increase foreign direct investment.
“Nor widen the tax collection base or even to end the situation in the Southeast. They just want to unite to defeat the APC. Power is their only goal, not people. No wonder Kwankwaso rejected their so-called merger. Desperate politicians whose only agenda is power at any cost, even at the price of “religious war” against Muslims. May God never let them achieve their nefarious plans for Nigeria”, said Omokri.
