Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has challenged President Bola Tinubu to account for the trillions of naira saved from fuel subsidy removal and over $100 billion borrowed by his administration, insisting that Nigerians deserve to know the impact of the resources on their lives.
Obi, in a statement titled “Good Day, Mr President: Nigerians Deserve Accountability, issued on Saturday, said Tinubu’s administration must explain how public funds had been utilised since assuming office.
He made the demand following the President’s visit to Akwa Ibom State, where he spent a night outside Lagos and Abuja, urging him to use such visits as opportunities to engage Nigerians across the country and account for his government’s stewardship.
Obi congratulated Tinubu on the visit but expressed hope that it would inspire him to travel to the remaining 33 states of the federation, interact with the people and explain what his administration had achieved with public resources.
Specifically, the former Anambra State governor demanded explanations on the ₦15.8 trillion reportedly saved from fuel subsidy removal, over $100 billion in borrowings, increased tax revenues and additional government earnings which the administration had celebrated as exceeding its target last year.
He questioned how many Nigerians had been lifted out of poverty, how many out-of-school children had returned to classrooms and how many functional primary healthcare centres had been established with the resources.
Obi also demanded an account of improvements in electricity supply, recalling Tinubu’s campaign promise that Nigerians should not vote for him if he failed to fix the country’s power sector.
On security, he challenged the President to explain what his government had done to protect Nigerians, noting that the country still ranks among the world’s most terrorised nations.
“Mr President, Nigerians deserve answers. They deserve to know what has been done with the resources entrusted to your government,” Obi declared.
He argued that governance must go beyond revenue generation, borrowing and public announcements, stressing that the ultimate measure of leadership should be the tangible improvements citizens experience in their daily lives.
According to him, the New Nigeria he envisions must be anchored on accountability, transparency and measurable impact of public resources on the welfare of the people.
