‘Those Who Supported Tinubu Have Lost Their Businesses, Now Selling Kuli-Kuli’ – Peter Obi

• Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, says many Nigerians who supported President Bola Tinubu have lost their businesses and are now struggling to survive.

Former Anambra State Governor and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has claimed that many Nigerians who supported President Bola Tinubu in the 2023 general election are now facing severe economic hardship, with some reportedly losing their businesses.

Obi made the remarks during an interview with Chude Jideonwo, published on Wednesday, while responding to questions about whether the momentum behind his 2023 presidential campaign had diminished.

According to the former Labour Party presidential candidate, his support base has grown rather than declined because many Nigerians have become disappointed with the performance of the current administration.

“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 argued that many Nigerians who previously backed Tinubu based on his political record have since changed their opinions after experiencing the realities of governance.

Obi claimed that businesses which were thriving before Tinubu assumed office have collapsed, leaving many entrepreneurs struggling to survive.

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

The former governor also criticised the Federal Government’s “Renewed Hope” agenda, arguing that living conditions have deteriorated since Tinubu took office.

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

He further alleged that poverty, hunger and insecurity have worsened under the current administration, insisting that Nigerians are now judging the government based on their personal experiences rather than campaign promises.

“Everything has gotten worse. We’re no longer talking of ghosts walking around. You can see where we’ve gotten. Which hope are they going to renew again? You can’t renew failure,” he said.

Obi also dismissed suggestions that enthusiasm surrounding his presidential movement has faded, maintaining that more Nigerians now support his vision after witnessing the country’s current economic challenges.

Speaking on his relationship with former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, Obi described him as a politician committed to improving the lives of the poor through education and human capital development.

“Kwankwaso is one politician that I can say anywhere who cares for the interest of the poor. He believes in pulling people out of poverty and training a child of nobody to become something,” Obi said.

He reiterated that education and human capital development remain the foundation of sustainable economic growth, citing countries such as China and Malaysia as examples of nations that transformed their economies by investing in their people.