Presidency slams Peter Obi, says he lacks economic depth, only hungry for power

The Presidency has fired back at Peter Obi, the former Labour Party presidential candidate, accusing him of offering shallow economic ideas and being more focused on attaining power than presenting realistic policy alternatives.

This sharp criticism came from Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, who took to his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle on Monday, shortly after Obi’s appearance on Arise Television where he analyzed the Tinubu administration’s key economic policies.

Obi had criticized the president’s removal of fuel subsidies and the unification of Nigeria’s foreign exchange windows, calling the implementations rushed and poorly planned resulting in avoidable hardship for Nigerians.

According to the presidential aide, Obi’s comments demonstrated “very shallow knowledge of economics and governance.”

READ ALSO: Tinubu’s subsidy removal not wrong, but… – Peter Obi

“He seems to have very shallow knowledge of economics and governance,” Bwala wrote. “Anybody with a rational mind knows these guys are just looking to grab power, but they don’t have any alternative agenda.”

During the Arise TV interview, Obi reiterated his support for fuel subsidy removal but insisted that if elected, he would have implemented it in a more organised manner.”

He questioned the transparency of the policy‘s savings and challenged the government to show where the money had been invested.

“I have consistently maintained that I would have removed the fuel subsidy. If you go to my manifesto, it is there, and I would have taken the steps in an organised manner,” Obi said.

However, Bwala dismissed the former Anambra State governor’s explanation, accusing him of political doublespeak.

“He agreed with our policy of removal of subsidy and unification of the foreign exchange; he claimed he would have done it better than us in an ‘organized manner.’ He was asked what the ‘organised manner’ is. He played with words yet to arrive at agreeing with us,” Bwala said.

Bwala accused Obi of being evasive when answering critical questions and alleged that the interview host gave him a soft landing.

“The host, a member of his Obidient movement, was throwing him lifelines throughout the interview,” he claimed.

Obi, who finished third in the 2023 presidential election, has remained vocal in the national discourse, often criticising the government’s handling of the economy and rising cost of living. In the interview, he questioned what he described as the government’s failure to channel subsidy savings into visible infrastructure.

“Since we were told that we removed it because we don’t want to borrow and that the funds will allow for investments in critical infrastructure—billions saved—where is it? Where is it invested in essential areas of development?” Obi asked.