Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has accused the Federal Government of contributing to the country’s worsening economic hardship, insecurity and social challenges.
Obi made the allegation on Wednesday during a visit to the palace of the Tor Tiv, James Ayatse, in Makurdi, Benue State, ahead of his participation in the party’s town hall meeting.
He described Nigeria’s situation as critical, citing rising poverty, hunger, terrorism, kidnapping and mounting public debt.
The former Anambra State governor said his visits across the country were aimed at promoting peaceful political campaigns and mobilising Nigerians to participate actively in the 2027 general elections.
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Obi expressed concern that more than 60 per cent of Nigerians were living in poverty, while the population of out-of-school children continued to rise.
“Nigeria today is in a very, very difficult, dire situation where Nigerians go to bed hungry. Over 60 percent of our population now live in poverty,” the NDC presidential candidate said.
Today we are 200 trillion in debt. It cannot continue. Our out-of-school children are increasing. We have become one of the most terrorised and insecure places; we are now number four in the entire world.
“People are dying in Benue today, a state that can feed Nigeria, a state that used to be peaceful. The government is complicit in all that is happening. There is kidnapping.”
He also questioned the capacity of security agencies to locate and rescue kidnapped schoolchildren, particularly when abductors reportedly communicate through mobile phones to negotiate ransom payments from their hideouts.