The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has lamented that the economic policies and governance style of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration have plunged millions of Nigerians deeper into poverty within just two years.
Citing the latest World Bank report released on October 8, 2025, Obi noted that 139 million Nigerians are now living in poverty—an alarming rise from 87 million in 2023, when President Bola Tinubu assumed office.
“What this means,” Obi said, “is that in just two years under the APC regime, over 50 million Nigerians have been pushed into poverty. This is a heartbreaking reflection of how deeply our nation is failing its citizens.”
The former Anambra State governor expressed dismay that such a disturbing revelation has not triggered an emergency national conversation on reversing the trend.
Instead, he said, the government chose to issue denials, even when the dire realities are evident in the daily struggles of ordinary Nigerians.
Obi observed that despite the administration’s much-celebrated reforms, the World Bank’s data confirm that poverty is worsening, cementing Nigeria’s position as the world’s poverty capital.
He attributed the failure of the government’s reforms to the absence of a coherent economic vision and a lack of genuine commitment to channel resources into productive and people-oriented sectors.
“Reforms must be deliberate, well-coordinated, and focused on improving lives,” Obi stressed. “We must prioritise production over consumption, empower small businesses and farmers, invest in education and healthcare, and ensure that public spending directly uplifts citizens.”
He concluded by reaffirming his belief in the country’s potential:
“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.
