Former Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, on Saturday, said President Muhammadu Buhari’s claim on lifting 10.5 million citizens out of poverty is a ‘presidential lie”.

He said rather, Mr Buhari’s government lifted 10.5 million into poverty. 

Mr Buhari had in his Democracy Day speech claimed that his administration has lifted 10.5 million Nigerians out of poverty in the last two years. 

Reacting to Mr Buhari’s speech in a series of tweets on Saturday, Mr Fayose said Mr Buhari’s claim was a “presidential lie” as his government has left more Nigerians impoverished. 

“Buhari has impoverished Nigerians and caused disunity in the country more than any leader in our history,” Mr Fayose said.

“That claim of lifting 10.5m Nigerians out of poverty is ‘Presidential Lie’ or in local slang, ‘Lori iro’.”

“I’m sure what he meant to say was that he has lifted 10.5m Nigerians out of wealth into poverty, death and anguish,” Mr Fayose added.

In February, the World Bank projected that an estimate of additional 20 million Nigerians will be impoverished by 2022.

Gloria Joseph-Raji, a senior economist at the Washington-based financial institution, predicts an astronomical surge in Nigeria’s 83 million poverty cycle. 

“So, with slower growth and fewer jobs, and then coupled with high inflation, our estimates are that the number of the poor will increase by about 15 to 20 million people by 2022 from the about 83 million people in 2019,” Ms. Joseph-Raji said.