Victor EzejaPresidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, Mr Peter Obi, has accused President Bola Tinubu’s government of feeding Nigerians with wrong statistics on unemployment, inflation, and GDP.
Obi alleged that Tinubu’s administration is presenting incorrect figures to create a positive impression about the country’s failing economy.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelHis comment was in reaction to the rebased Consumer Price Index (inflation) and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) reports released recently.
The rebased GDP report released last week revealed that it is now ₦372.82 trillion in 2024 and that it grew by 3.13 per cent year-on-year (YoY) in real terms in the first quarter (Q1) of 2025.
Also, the inflation reports released by the National Bureau of Statistics showed that the headline inflation dropped to 22.22 per cent as at June 2025. It had reached 34.80 per cent in December 2024, but dropped to 24.48 per cent in January 2025 following the rebasing of the Consumer Price Index.
While statistics serve as the bedrock of planning, policy making, and accountability, some Nigerians have expressed doubts about the numbers reeled out by the statistical agency in recent times.
The latest statistical figures about the economy have been doubted.
In a statement via his official X handle on Monday, Obi recalled Tinubu’s statement during the presidential campaign when he taunted him of quoting statistics, saying his focus is on putting food on the table of Nigerians.
READ ALSO: The Paradox Of Nigeria’s GDP Growth And Deepening Poverty
Obi said that two years into Tinubu’s administration, “Nigeria is classified as one of the hungriest nations in the world.”
He said: “In November 2022, while campaigning in Delta State, the then APC Presidential Candidate, Bola Tinubu, now the President, berated the other Presidential Candidate (Peter Obi), he was ashamed to call his name, saying “Na statistics we go chop all I want is to put food on the table of Nigerians”.
“Now 2 years into his 4-year tenure, Nigeria is classified as one of the hungriest nations in the world, with millions of Nigerians not knowing where their next meal will come from.
“President Tinubu is now overfeeding Nigerians with wrong Statistics from wrong unemployment figures, wrong inflation figures, and now GDP rebasing, all to put a positive spin on our deteriorating economic and household conditions.”
READ ALSO: Obi To Tinubu: Declare ‘War’ On Insecurity, Economy, Poverty
Obi emphasised that governance is not “rocket science, or “a gamble, but “requires sincerity of purpose, character, competence, capacity and compassion.”
As observed in comments of Nigerians online, many are increasingly perceiving the figures as not aligning with realities such as rising food prices, increasing rate of unemployment, and erosion of purchasing power of the people.
“Everyone will chop this statistics by force now See how they are changing statistics up and down to lie about their leadership, suffocating Nigerians with statistics Inflation ratio was manipulated so they can look good Unemployment computation methodology has been changed so they can look good Exchange rate was reformed to attempt to look good Now they have rebased GDP so that the values can look good,” an X user wrote.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
