The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has responded sharply to President Bola Tinubu following his recent remarks criticizing Mr. Peter Obi regarding the erosion crisis in Anambra State, asserting instead that the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket is concentrated on tackling the much larger national threat of depleting Nigeria’s collective wealth.
Speaking in Akwa Ibom, on Friday, Tinubu had said while tamed the Atlantic Ocean as governor, Obi ran away from erosion.
Responding to the President’s comments, the NDC questioned the administration’s fiscal direction, highlighting the growing contradiction between the high revenues expected from fuel subsidy removal, the government’s frequent new loan requests, and the persistent underfunding of critical public sectors like health and education.
”Nigerians deserve to know what has happened to the promised fiscal benefits of subsidy removal, particularly against the backdrop of the administration’s frequent borrowing, poor debt-service-to-revenue ratio, and worsening economic conditions,” Dr. Chiogo Constance Ikokwu, spokesperson of the party’s National Presidential Campaign Council, said in a statement.
The party warned that excessive debt and poor fiscal management have historically crippled powerful empires and modern nations alike, such as 19th-century Egypt, Argentina, and Zambia.
Contrasting the fiscal records of both leaders as former governors, the NDC noted that Obi left Anambra with over $500 million in local, foreign, and bond investments in 2014, while also refusing to implement lifetime governor pensions.
It said in contrast, Lagos State carried roughly $190.43 million in external debt when President Tinubu left office in 2007, alongside a controversial gubernatorial pension law that burdened state finances until later reviews.
Addressing the specific issue of environmental degradation, the NDC defended Obi’s record in Anambra, highlighting his leadership in bringing the World Bank’s Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP) to the state, building concrete flood channels across several communities, and enforcing strict drainage requirements on all state road projects.
The NDC emphasized that the Obi-Kwankwaso campaign offers a clear alternative to President Tinubu’s borrowing-dependent governance model, committing instead to prudent resource management, accountability, and sustainable economic growth for current and future generations.
What You Should Know
This political exchange highlights growing tensions between the ruling administration and opposition parties over fiscal policies, governance records, and economic management. As political parties trade criticisms regarding past and present performances, citizens are urged to look closely at campaign promises, borrowing habits, and infrastructural development.
- Positive Impact: Heightened political debate brings greater public scrutiny to government borrowing, fiscal responsibility, and resource management.
- Potential Concerns: Continuous political bickering can distract leaders from addressing critical environmental and economic challenges facing everyday citizens.
