Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, has affirmed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has fulfilled his campaign promises to Nigerians. Obi expressed this viewpoint during a Democracy Day interview on Arise TV.
During his campaign, Tinubu pledged to build a Nigeria that would particularly benefit the youth by creating sufficient jobs with decent wages, thereby improving their quality of life.
He envisioned a country that would manufacture, create, and invent more of its needed goods and services, striving to become a nation of creators rather than mere consumers. Tinubu also promised that Nigeria would export more and import less, which would strengthen both the naira and the citizens’ way of life.
However, Tinubu’s central campaign theme was his commitment to continue the policies of his predecessor, President Muhammadu Buhari.
Obi, who contested against Tinubu and finished third according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), acknowledged that Tinubu has indeed kept this promise.
“I believe President Tinubu has performed exceptionally well in his first year in office. He has kept his campaign promises,” Obi remarked. “Throughout his campaign, he consistently maintained that he would continue from where Buhari stopped, and he has done just that.”
Obi illustrated his point by citing various economic indicators:
The exchange rate of the dollar was N450, now it is N1500.
The price of fuel was around N238, now it is about N700.
The price of diesel was N844, now it is N1415.
The cost of a bag of rice was N30,000 to N35,000, now it is about N80,000.
The cost of a bag of beans was similar, now it is about N90,000.
The price of a tuber of yam was about N2000 to N3000, now it is about N10,000.
The price of a basket of tomatoes was about N40,000, now it is about N150,000.
The cost of electricity was N66 per kilowatt, now it is about N200.
The price of small to medium bread was about N450, now it is N900, and the big one was about N1500.
Other promises made by Tinubu included supporting farmers through progressive agricultural policies that enhance productivity and provide decent incomes, modernizing and expanding public infrastructure, empowering young people and women by harnessing sectors like the digital economy, entertainment, and tourism, providing economic opportunities to the poorest and most vulnerable, ensuring sufficient and affordable electricity, and making healthcare, education, and housing accessible and affordable for all.
Most crucially, Tinubu promised to implement bold and assertive policies to create a robust and adaptive national security architecture aimed at eradicating terrorism, kidnapping, banditry, and all other forms of violent extremism in the nation.
