People With Businesses Before Tinubu Came To Power Now Sell Kuli-kuli— Peter Obi

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2027 election, Peter Obi, has claimed that many Nigerians who owned thriving businesses before President Bola Tinubu assumed office have lost their livelihoods and are now struggling to survive, with some resorting to petty trading.

Obi made the remarks during an interview with Chude Jideonwo published on Wednesday while responding to questions about whether the movement that backed his 2023 presidential ambition had lost momentum.

According to the former Anambra State governor, rather than shrinking, his support base has grown as more Nigerians assess the performance of the current administration.

He argued that many citizens who voted for Tinubu based on his perceived experience and record had become disillusioned after witnessing the country's economic realities.

“Those who jumped into, in quotes, some experiential thing, ‘Oh, this man did this, this man did this’, I was going to create the future. I’ve seen that the whole thing was a mess,” Obi said.

He maintained that the country's worsening economic conditions had made it difficult for anyone to argue that Nigeria was making progress.

“Nobody, nobody can tell you things are moving well. What are they going to do now?” he asked.

Highlighting the impact on business owners, Obi claimed that enterprises that were operating successfully before Tinubu's inauguration had collapsed, forcing many owners into menial means of survival.

“Those who had business when he came into power have collapsed. They are now the people who are selling kuli-kuli?” Obi said.

He added that even some people who previously defended the government were now reassessing its performance based on their personal experiences.

Obi also rejected suggestions that the enthusiasm surrounding his presidential bid had diminished, insisting that more Nigerians had embraced his vision after witnessing the outcome of the 2023 election.

“My fellowship has increased because those who jumped into, in quotes, some experiential thing… I was going to create the future,” he said.

The former governor criticised the Federal Government's "Renewed Hope" agenda, claiming the administration had failed to improve the country's fortunes.

“You’re talking of the Renewed Hope. It had become hopelessness when President Tinubu came into power,” Obi said.

He further alleged that poverty, hunger and insecurity had worsened under the current administration.

“Eighty-seven million Nigerians were living in poverty. Today, it’s one-fourth,” he said.

Obi also claimed that Nigeria's ranking on global hunger indices had deteriorated.

“We were number five below where we are today in hunger list. We’ve increased,” he said.

He maintained that the country's challenges were now evident to all Nigerians.

“Everything has gotten worse. Like I said before, we’re no longer talking of ghosts walking around. You can see where we’ve gotten,” he said.

Questioning the government's campaign slogan, Obi said, “Which hope are they going to renew again? You can’t renew failure, and that’s it.”

On his relationship with former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, Obi dismissed concerns about the alliance, describing Kwankwaso as a leader committed to improving the lives of poor Nigerians.

“Kwankwaso is one politician that I can say it anywhere who cares for the interest of the poor.

“He believes in pulling people out of poverty. He believes in training a child of nobody to become something, and that for me aligns with my position,” Obi said.

He stressed that education and human capital development remained the cornerstone of national development, arguing that countries that transformed their economies invested heavily in their people rather than focusing solely on physical infrastructure.

“Truly, the biggest driver of development is education, human capital. It is not physical infrastructure, it’s human infrastructure,” he said.

Citing China, Malaysia and other Asian economies, Obi said sustained investment in human capital was responsible for their economic growth.

“That’s what the Asian Tigers did. That’s what the Chinese did. That’s what Malaysia, that’s what everybody did,” he said.

He added that addressing Nigeria's out-of-school children crisis, improving healthcare and building a productive economy that creates opportunities for citizens would remain key priorities if elected president.