Peter Obi, opposition leader and former presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), has taken a swipe at the administration of President Bola Tinubu, saying over 50 million Nigerians have sunk deeper into poverty under his government.

In a statement on Tuesday, Mr Obi expressed concern over a recent World Bank report indicating that 139 million Nigerians are now living in poverty, a sharp rise from 87 million recorded before the Mr Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) government took control of power.

“What this means is that in two years under the watch of the APC regime, over 50 million Nigerians were sent into poverty. This is a heartbreaking reflection of how deeply our nation is failing its citizens,” he lamented in a message on X, formerly Twitter.

Last week Wednesday, the global lender expressed concern that despite Nigeria’s recent economic stability as pronounced by Mr Tinubu, about 139 million Nigerians are still living in poverty.

It specifically warned that the country risks losing hard-won reform gains if policies are not translated into tangible improvements in citizens’ welfare.

Although the presidency has kicked against the latest economic report, describing the figure as unrealistic and detached from the country’s economic realities under Mr Tinubu’s government.

Sunday Dare, Mr Tinubu’s special adviser on media and public communication, in a swift reaction, said the figure must be properly contextualised within the limits of global poverty measurement models.

“While Nigeria values its partnership with the World Bank and appreciates its contributions to policy analysis, the figure quoted must be properly contextualised. It is unrealistic,” Mr Dare said.

Posting further, the opposition leader also criticised Mr Tinubu’s government response to the report, saying rather than addressing the economic hardship bedevilling the people of the country, it had resorted to denial.

Mr Obi added, “What is even more concerning is that this devastating revelation has not led to an emergency and national discussion on how to effectively pull millions of our people out of poverty but instead caused a rebuttal from the government, when the news already reflects the daily struggles of the ordinary Nigerian.”

According to Mr Obi, the World Bank findings have further exposed the ineffectiveness of the APC-led government’s much-touted economic reforms.

He noted that the reforms are not working because there is “a lack of a clear plan and a lack of determination to channel the supposed gains into feasible and productive areas that will benefit the people and improve overall growth.”

While advising Mr Tinubu to adopt people-focused policies that will prioritise production over consumption, Mr Obi urged the APC administration to support small businesses and farmers, invest in education and healthcare.

He further told Mr Tinubu that his administration’s spending must impact the lives of Nigerians by pulling them out of poverty.

“No nation can truly rise when the majority of its people are trapped in poverty. With the right leadership, we can make Nigeria work for every Nigerian,” Mr Obi added.