Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s recent comments on hunger in Nigeria.

He responded to the President’s comments during a meeting with members of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, where Tinubu stated that hunger had existed in Nigeria even before he was born, Obi on Friday, said that while hunger has long been a challenge, the current administration should be judged by its response to the crisis rather than historical realities.

He described the remarks as insensitive to the plight of millions of citizens facing worsening economic hardship

According to Obi, available data indicate that before the Tinubu administration assumed office in 2023, about 17 million Nigerians were facing acute food insecurity due to factors such as insecurity, armed conflict, banditry and flooding.

He claimed that the figure has now risen to approximately 35 million, solidly implying a significant deterioration in the country’s food security situation.

The former Anambra State governor also expressed concern over rising poverty levels, asserting that the number of Nigerians living in extreme poverty has increased substantially since the current administration took office.

He argued that the worsening economic conditions have left millions of citizens struggling to meet basic needs.

Obi acknowledged that the present administration inherited significant economic and security challenges but maintained that the true measure of leadership lies in its ability to deliver tangible improvements in the lives of the people.

He attributed the worsening hardship to what he described as persistent insecurity, poor economic management, fiscal indiscipline, wasteful public spending, and insufficient investment in productive sectors of the economy.

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate urged the Federal Government to prioritise investments in education, healthcare, agriculture and security.

He stated that there must be support for small businesses, stressing that such measures are essential to creating jobs, boosting production, reducing poverty, and improving food security.