The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to put an end to what he described as “governance by remote control” and instead travel across the country to directly engage with the realities Nigerians are facing.
Obi made this call while addressing a press briefing in Abuja to commemorate the 12th Democracy Day, themed *“Democracy in Decline Reflecting on Two Years of Tinubu’s Governance.”* He offered a critical assessment of the administration’s performance since assuming office, highlighting significant lapses in key areas such as education, healthcare, economy, and food security.
Obi stated that “a lot is going wrong” and urged the President to “note that governing by remote is not what Nigerians need, you need to go round and get firsthand” experience of the suffering of citizens. He emphasized that the President should stop prioritizing foreign trips and instead devote the remainder of his term to touring the 36 states of Nigeria.
“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 2 days to tour each state, it would take only 72 days for you to do so, less than half the time you have already spent in other areas of the country on foreign trips. You need to go around the country to see,” Obi remarked.
The former Anambra State Governor expressed deep concern over the deteriorating state of education, pointing out that “today, more than 18.3 million Nigerian children are out of school, the highest number in the world. The quality of education in Nigeria is also deteriorating rapidly. Many of our children are being taught sciences without any science labs and computer studies without any computers.”
He further lamented the dire learning conditions, noting that “students are now writing WAEC and other national exams in the dark, relying on candles. There are now even glitches in their exams.”
Addressing the worsening healthcare system, Obi referenced data from the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, revealing that “less than 20% of over 30,000 Primary Health Care Centres across the nation are fully functional.” He added, “I have even, recently visited some health centres where delivery rooms were without toilets. The United Nations recently reported Nigeria as the world’s worst country to give birth, with one death recorded every seven minutes.”
Obi also raised the alarm over the collapse of businesses, citing that “within the past two years, approximately 7 million Small and Medium Enterprises shut down across Nigeria. Over 80 manufacturing companies have permanently closed their operations.” He attributed these shutdowns to rising production costs and a harsh economic climate.
“Funding costs, including the cost of raw materials and energy, have surged to an incredible level, forcing these manufacturers to shut down,” he explained. “Over 15 major multinationals including GlaxoSmithKline, Diageo, Procter & Gamble, and Shoprite have exited Nigeria due to the harsh operating environment.”
On food insecurity, Obi said the situation had worsened significantly, stating that “the hunger crisis arising from food insecurity has deepened in these 2 years.” He cited the Global Hunger Index (GHI) report which indicates a sharp decline, adding that “millions can no longer afford food due to the high costs of food and nonexistent disposable income.”
Obi concluded by urging the President to reconnect with the Nigerian people and address the severe socio-economic challenges confronting the nation, insisting that true leadership requires physical presence and active engagement.
