Peter Obi, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, says President Bola Tinubu’s poor governance and bad policies have dampened the hopes of Nigerians. 

“The hardship in the country, the biting effects of bad government policies and poor governance have dampened the hopes of most Nigerians,” Mr Obi said in a Christmas message shared on his X account on Monday.   The former Anambra governor, however, said the hardship and issues confronting the country should not deter citizens from appreciating God and seeking His mercies.   

“The difficulties and challenges of this moment should not, however, hinder us from appreciating the essence of our creation and the importance of seeking God’s mercy at all times,” Mr Obi said.   

Though Mr Obi did not mention specifically any bad policy by Mr Tinubu’s government, Nigerians have continued to lament the high cost of living and economic hardship occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy.   

With Nigeria’s headline inflation increased to 28.2 per cent, showing a 0.87 per cent increase over the 27.33 per cent recorded in October, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), hardships have risen sharply nationwide as petrol prices rose from less than N200 when Mr Tinubu assumed office to nearly N700 nationwide, while a naira trades for over N1,100 against the United States dollar.  

Mr Tinubu had insisted that the current economic hardship was a necessary sacrifice for a better future for the country.