Politics

Edo LP Polls: APC, Tinubu Have Impoverished Nigerians, Obi Laments

Published

2 years ago

August 21, 2023

Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Peter Obi, has expressed worries over the sufferings and hardship the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has subjected Nigerians to particularly the current Bola Tinubu-led administration.

He lamented that the common man is most hit as the prices of foods stuff is skyrocketing on a daily basis.

Obi made this remarks today, August 21, in Benin City in a Mega Rally organised by the Labour Party to canvass support from the people for the party’s candidates in the forthcoming Local Government election slated for September 2 in Edo State.

Obi who ascribed the high level of poverty in Nigeria to the absence of development at that third tier of government, assured all the candidates of the party’s support to ensure their victory at the polls.

According to him, “The local government is the nearest to the people in the grassroots. Local government is suppose to be the root for ensuring development.

“It is the system that is closer to the people and the critical areas of local governments for development are health, education and other Infrastructural amenities.

“As you know today in Nigeria there is mass poverty. And the mass poverty is in the local government areas. So for the system to work for a country that generate wealth, the local government must be adequately catered for.”

Obi also added: “The central government come through the sub national (state) to the local government. so every form of government is domicile in the local government.

“This is why we should not ignore the local governments. As governor of Anambra state, I was prevented by all forms of legal litigations to conduct local government elections for over six years.

“As we were coming into the rally venue, I told our national chairman, Barrister Julius Abure that we must find a way to support the candidates that are contesting for the local government in Edo state.

“So we are not just here to talk, we are here to give support our candidates who are contesting the election. Even when we are here I told the chairman that we will do whatever we can do to support the candidates because there is problem of hunger and people cannot even entre vehicles to their work and they cannot eat.

“Government must address the problem of the masses. Things have changed in the country and government must provide for the people. Today, across Nigeria people are hungry and dieing. People are not sure if their children will go to school. So things have changed and we are saying that those in governments must also change and do the right thing.

“People have suffered enough in this country and that suffering must end. We must start now by bringing people out of poverty.

“If we don’t I am worried that one day, even those of us in government will wake up and see dead bodies.”

Obi urged all the candidates contesting on the platform of the party to display sincerity, saying, “so those of you who are contesting should go and tell the people what you will do when you are elected. Whatever you say if you win, ensure you do it for the people.”

Also speaking, the National chairman of the labour party, Mr. Julius Abure thanked the people for their massive supports for the party, especially the supports they got during the presidential elections.

Abure while appreciating Edo people for supporting the party during the presidential and state assembly elections, noting that it was their support that made the party score 79 percent with all the federal and state nights.

The immediate past president of NBA and a governorship aspirant of the party, Olumide Akpata, urged LP supporter not to entertain any fears but to go out on election day to cast their votes.

Earlier, In his welcome addres, the state party chairman, Kelly Ogbaloi called on all labour party supporters to join hands in building the party in the state especially at the local government level.

Politics

APC Defeats NNPP In Kano Re-run Election

Published

16 hours ago

August 17, 2025

Editor

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has defeated the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in the Ghari/Tsanyawa supplementary re-run election in Kano State.

Announcing the result on Sunday, the Returning Officer, Prof. Muhammad Waziri of Bayero University, declared APC’s Garba Gwarmai winner with 31,472 votes, ahead of NNPP’s Yusuf Maigado, who polled 27,931 votes.

The supplementary election was conducted after the initial poll was declared inconclusive.

Hon. Gwarmai’s 3,541-vote lead marks a significant victory for the APC, further consolidating its political foothold in the state.

According to Tribune Online, the All Progressives Congress (APC), Kano State Chapter, had expressed concerns over alleged irregularities in the rerun elections for Ghari/Takai and Bagwai/Shanono Constituencies.

Politics

Obi Blames Tinubu For 70% Investment Crash

Published

1 day ago

August 16, 2025

Editor

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of presiding over what he described as “a collapse in foreign direct investment.”

He blamed what he called “poor leadership, weak governance, and uncoordinated reforms” for the country’s economic woes.

Obi, in a statement shared on official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Friday, noted that going by fresh figures from the National Bureau of Statistics, FDI into Nigeria plunged by about 70 per cent in the first quarter of 2025, falling to $126.29m from $421.8m recorded in the last quarter of 2024.

“While the President, ministers, and other government officials continue their global galivanting in search of FDI, our poor performance in key governance indicators – such as rule of law, regulatory quality, government effectiveness, and voice and accountability – continues to prove that you cannot attract sustainable foreign investment with poor leadership and governance,” Obi wrote.

While noting that the country’s investment inflows were largely speculative, Obi said, “Of the total capital importation of about $5.64 bn in Q1 2025, FDI accounted for only about 2.24 per cent, compared to 8.2 per cent in Q4 2024.

“Disturbingly, about 90 per cent of the imported capital went into speculative money market instruments, with negligible impact on industrial growth or job creation, given the ease with which such ‘hot money’ can exit the economy.”

He argued the sharp drop in manufacturing inflows further underscored the lack of investor confidence in the country.

“Capital flows to the manufacturing sector declined by 32.1 per cent, falling to only $129.92 million in Q1 2025 from $191.92 million in the same quarter of 2023. There is no better confirmation of the lack of trust in this government, whose reforms remain uncoordinated and largely reactive,” he said.

The former Anambra State governor further compared the country’s performance with other African nations that recorded major gains.

“In 2024, while global FDI flows declined, Africa’s FDI rose by about 75 per cent to $97 billion,” he stated.

“Egypt alone attracted $46.58 billion. Ethiopia received $3.98 billion, Côte d’Ivoire $3.80 billion, Mozambique $3.55 billion, Uganda $3.30 billion, DR Congo $3.11 billion, South Africa $2.47 billion, Namibia $2.06 billion, Senegal $2.02 billion, Guinea $1.83 billion, and Morocco $1.64 billion.”

According to him, Nigeria has been left trailing far behind.

“Most disappointingly, our dear nation, the so-called ‘Giant of Africa,’ received only $1.08 billion – about one per cent of Africa’s total FDI – representing a decline of about 42 per cent from 2023. Worse still, after that 42 per cent drop between 2023 and 2024, FDI to Nigeria has further declined by 75 per cent between Q4 2024 and Q1 2025,” Obi lamented.

He warned that unless Nigeria fixed its governance problems, it would continue to lose investment to more stable African economies.

“We cannot achieve sustainable growth and development with ineffective leadership and a weak government,” he said.

Politics

By-election: Edo Deputy Gov Lauds Credible Process, Encourages Voters

Published

2 days ago

August 16, 2025

Editor

Edo State Deputy Governor, Dennis Idahosa, on Saturday commended the impressive turnout of voters in the ongoing by-election for the Ovia Federal Constituency seat in the House of Representatives.

Idahosa gave the commendation after casting his ballot at Unit 3, Old Education Board, Iguobazuwa West Ward, Ovia South-West Local Government Area.

He described the process as seamless, peaceful, and encouraging.

Edo Deputy Governor, Dennis Idahosa, on the queue at the Ovia Federal Constituency to cast his vote.

“I must commend the people for coming out in large numbers to vote. So far, everything is going well. We are expecting free, fair, and credible elections. Ovia people will be happy with the outcome. I am calling on more voters to come out and perform their civic duties.

“I just voted and I am going home while I wait for the result,” he said.

Meanwhile, at Okada West Ward Units 1, 4, and 6, voters were seen in long queues waiting to cast their ballots.