Peter Obi delivers scathing Democracy Day broadcast, accusing Tinubu’s government of impunity, mismanagement, and economic collapse after two years in power
Peter Obi on Tinubu government has set the tone for a fierce debate about Nigeria’s democratic direction, as the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate delivered a stinging rebuke of the administration’s two-year record.
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In a Democracy Day broadcast titled “Democracy in Decline: Reflecting on Two Years of Tinubu’s Governance,” Obi said that Nigeria is slipping further into authoritarianism, economic ruin and public despair.
Obi began his address by criticising the President’s lack of domestic engagement, accusing him of governing by proxy.
“You need to go round and get firsthand,” he said. “Mr. President, you have already made over 30 international trips, spending nearly 150 days abroad.
If you tour Nigeria’s 36 states and dedicate just two days to each, it would take only 72 days less than half the time already spent abroad.”
He argued that the true test of democratic leadership is not eloquent speeches but action rooted in the people’s experience.
Drawing comparisons with former Presidents Umaru Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan, Obi urged Tinubu to emulate their humility and statesmanship.
“Yar’Adua admitted the process that brought him to power was flawed. Jonathan conceded defeat before results were even announced. That is the spirit of democracy,” he said.
Obi described the current state of Nigeria as “a democracy in name only,” where impunity, state capture, and disregard for the rule of law are the norm.
He said that those unqualified for public office are occupying positions because electoral rules are ignored.
“None of the three pillars of democracy — government of the people, by the people, for the people exist in Nigeria today,” he declared.
He then presented stark economic statistics. Nigeria’s GDP, he said, has fallen from \$364 billion in May 2023 to $188 billion in 2025 nearly a 50% drop.
Per capita GDP has also collapsed from $1,640 to $835. Poverty has surged, with over 129 million Nigerians now living below the poverty line and rural poverty affecting 75% of the population.
Obi also sounded the alarm on education and healthcare. Over 18.3 million children are out of school, and many sit for exams by candlelight.
Less than 20% of Nigeria’s 30,000 primary healthcare centres are functional, and the UN ranks Nigeria the worst country in the world to give birth, with one maternal death every seven minutes.
On the economic front, he said nearly 7 million small businesses and over 80 manufacturers have shut down in the last two years.
At least 15 major multinationals, including GlaxoSmithKline and Procter & Gamble, have exited the Nigerian market.
Food insecurity has worsened, and mental health issues are rising, with over 20 million Nigerians reportedly suffering from mental illness.
He also accused the Tinubu administration of reckless borrowing. Despite claims of fuel subsidy savings, Obi noted that the government has borrowed more in two years than the combined administrations of Yar’Adua, Jonathan and Buhari.
“Our national debt is nearing ₦188 trillion, yet there is no visible improvement in education, healthcare or poverty alleviation,” he said.
Corruption, Obi warned, has become systemic. He pointed to the alleged ₦7 trillion in questionable insertions in the 2025 national budget as evidence of unpunished fiscal abuse. “Nigeria has now become a crime scene,” he said.
In conclusion, Obi said the Tinubu government must stop relying on propaganda and confront Nigeria’s reality with sincerity.
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“This is not just about criticism; it is about the future of our democracy,” he stated. “Nigeria is collapsing in all its facets and that is not an exaggeration. It is a fact.”
