Explain What You’ve Done With ₦15.8trn Subsidy Savings, Over $100bn Borrowed, Obi Tells Tinubu

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has called on President Bola Tinubu to account for the ₦15.8 trillion saved from the removal of the fuel subsidy and the over $100 billion borrowed by his administration.

Obi’s challenge comes a day after Tinubu took a swipe at the former Anambra State governor during an All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign rally in Akwa Ibom State, saying that while the NDC candidate ran from erosion in Anambra, he confronted the Atlantic Ocean in Lagos.

In a post on his X handle on Saturday, Obi congratulated Tinubu on spending a night in a Nigerian state outside Lagos and Abuja, while urging him to visit other states and account for the resources available to his administration.

“I congratulate you on spending a night in one of Nigeria’s states outside Lagos and Abuja. I hope you enjoyed the warmth, hospitality, and delicious cuisine of Akwa Ibom, which I am sure is even better than those of the destinations where you have spent over 260 days outside Nigeria since coming into office.

“I sincerely hope this visit will inspire you to travel to the remaining 33 states of the federation, spend time with the people and, more importantly, explain what your administration has done with the ₦15.8 trillion saved from the removal of fuel subsidy, the over $100 billion you have borrowed, the increased revenues accruing to the government from taxing Nigerians, and the additional government revenues which your administration celebrated last year as having surpassed its target,” Obi wrote.

The former Anambra State governor said Nigerians deserved to know what the government had achieved with the resources, including the number of people lifted out of poverty, children returned to school and functional primary healthcare centres built.

“Nigerians deserve to know how many that were pulled out of poverty within this period, how many out-of-school children were returned to school, and how many functional primary healthcare centres you have built.

“They also deserve to know how much electricity supply has improved, especially given your promise that if you do not fix power, Nigerians should not vote for you. They deserve an explanation of how you have secured the country, which still ranks among the most terrorised countries in the world.

“Mr President, Nigerians deserve answers. They deserve to know what has been done with the resources entrusted to your government,” he added.

Obi said the new Nigeria he hopes to build would be founded on accountability, transparency and the physical, measurable impact of public resources on the lives of citizens.