Obi warns hunger is real as Farotimi backs one-term

DDM News

(DDM) – Former Governor of Anambra State and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has declared that hunger and poverty in Nigeria are real and not just statistical figures.

Obi, in a post on X, said millions of Nigerians are facing acute food shortages and multidimensional poverty on an unprecedented scale.

Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) gathered that the human rights lawyer and activist, Dele Farotimi, has backed Obi’s call for a single four-year presidential term, insisting that longer tenures in the past have been wasted by leaders without delivering meaningful progress.

Obi’s statement came against the backdrop of recent United Nations projections that about 34 million Nigerians will face acute food insecurity in the coming months.

The UN also reported that around 133 million Nigerians — representing 63 per cent of the population — are now living in multidimensional poverty.

Obi lamented that inflation, despite what he called “suppressed statistics,” is nearly 30 per cent, while unemployment and poor economic management have eroded the country’s once-thriving middle class.

He stressed that families who once lived comfortably are now falling into hardship because of “incompetent leadership without capacity and compassion.”

The Labour Party leader accused the current political leadership of failing to prioritize the Nigerian people, instead focusing on policies that deepen hardship.

Drawing comparisons with Argentina’s recent economic turnaround, Obi noted that the South American nation reduced its poverty rate from 52 per cent to 38.1 per cent within two years through decisive governance.

He pointed out that Argentina’s extreme poverty rate also fell to 8.2 per cent, monthly inflation dropped to about 2–3 per cent, and investor confidence was restored.

Obi said both Argentina’s current leadership and Nigeria’s administration assumed office in the same year, yet the outcomes have been starkly different due to policy direction and governance discipline.

He maintained that while two years may not completely overhaul a struggling nation, it is enough to start a genuine transformation if leaders are honest, focused, and committed to the people’s welfare.

Farotimi, speaking on television, argued that Nigeria’s past presidents squandered their years in power.

He cited former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Muhammadu Buhari as examples, noting that both spent eight years without making lasting improvements.

Farotimi accused President Bola Tinubu of “taking Nigeria back 50 years” in just two years.

He stressed that the question is not about the length of tenure but about what a leader intends to achieve within the available time.

According to him, a visionary leader does not necessarily need a long term to implement lasting change but must have clear and achievable plans.

Obi concluded his message by insisting that Nigeria could work if corruption is tackled, governance costs are cut, and investments are focused on education, healthcare, and poverty reduction.

He reaffirmed that a “New Nigeria” is possible if leaders put the people first.

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