The Presidency has responded sharply to recent comments by former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, describing him as politically driven and lacking depth in economic and governance matters.
The response came from Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, via a post on his official X (formerly Twitter) account.
Bwala expressed surprise that Obi appeared to support some of the Tinubu administration’s economic policies—particularly the removal of fuel subsidy and the unification of the exchange rate. He argued that Obi’s comments during a televised interview revealed a lack of clear alternatives, despite his criticism of the government’s implementation.
Bwala stated that Obi and other opposition figures seem primarily focused on seizing power rather than presenting coherent policy solutions. He also suggested that Obi’s public statements demonstrated limited understanding of core governance issues.
Meanwhile, during his interview on Arise Television, Obi called on the Tinubu administration to provide a detailed account of the funds saved from the fuel subsidy removal. While he acknowledged that removing the subsidy and floating the naira were necessary measures, he criticized the government’s approach as disorganized and abrupt.
Obi insisted that he would have taken similar steps, but in a phased and more structured manner. He emphasized that such reforms should have been paired with a clear plan to invest in critical infrastructure.
He questioned the transparency of the administration’s spending, asking where the savings had been directed since the policy shift was introduced.
The exchange between the Presidency and Obi underscores the ongoing debate over Nigeria’s economic trajectory and how best to implement challenging reforms amid rising public scrutiny.
