Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has launched a fresh criticism against the administration of President Bola Tinubu, accusing it of worsening insecurity, increasing national debt, and mishandling food policy.

Obi made the remarks during an interview on News Central Television, where he argued that Nigeria has become poorer and less secure since the current administration took office in 2023.

He alleged that the level of borrowing under the present government exceeds that of previous administrations combined, warning that the country’s fiscal direction is becoming unsustainable.

According to him, rising insecurity across several regions has crippled agricultural production, leaving farmers unable to work safely on their farms while food prices and hunger continue to rise.

“It’s only two years that someone used to borrow more than all the previous governments put together. It’s only two years that Nigeria has been the hungriest country in the world,” Obi said.

He further criticised the government’s handling of violent incidents across the country, questioning the response to repeated killings in states such as Plateau, Niger, and Benue.

“A president of Nigeria can stay in Abuja, and 200 people die in Jos or in Niger or in Benue, and you’re still sitting here,” he added.

Obi also pointed to international food aid dynamics, referencing Ukraine—a country currently at war—as an example of what he described as Nigeria’s declining agricultural capacity.

“When you go to theatres of war, you know how to contribute. So they’ve failed in everything. I said Ukraine, which is at war, is donating grain to Nigeria,” he said.

He blamed Nigeria’s food insecurity on policy failures, arguing that the government’s response to agricultural disruptions has weakened local farmers and increased dependence on imports.

“Instead of intervening when there was a crisis, we went to import food and killed all the farmers,” he stated.

One-term presidency vow

During the interview, Obi also reiterated his long-standing pledge that if elected president in 2027, he would serve only one term.

He insisted that his commitment to a single four-year term is non-negotiable and tied to his belief in political stability and accountability.

“I want to be a one-term president because of stability. I would not stay a day, with a gun to my head, longer than four years,” he said.

The remarks add to ongoing political debates as Nigeria’s political actors intensify early positioning ahead of the 2027 general elections.