The media office of former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has challenged the All Progressives Congress (APC) to explain what ordinary Nigerians have gained under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, arguing that citizens continue to face economic hardship, rising living costs and worsening insecurity.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Idris Zekeri, spokesperson for the Obi media office, urged the ruling party to focus on the government’s performance rather than engaging in political arguments over the outcome of the 2023 presidential election.
Zekeri was responding to recent comments by Dele Alake, spokesperson for the APC presidential campaign council, who criticised Obi, now identified in the statement as the standard-bearer of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), for claiming that he won the 2023 presidential election.
Alake described Obi’s remarks as troubling, arguing that a presidential candidate should provide evidence to support claims about an election rather than make unsubstantiated assertions.
However, Zekeri said the APC should pay greater attention to the impact of Tinubu’s policies on Nigerians instead of focusing on disputing Obi’s claims about the election.
Obi’s Media Office Questions Tinubu’s Performance
Zekeri argued that millions of Nigerians were more concerned about their daily living conditions than the political disagreement over the 2023 election results.
He questioned the value of an electoral victory if it did not translate into better living standards for citizens.
“What significance does an electoral victory have if it fails to bring meaningful improvements to the lives of the people?” he asked.
He further criticised the administration over what he described as worsening economic conditions, poverty and insecurity.
“What has that ‘victory’ delivered to ordinary citizens apart from escalating economic hardship, higher living costs, worsening poverty, and intensifying insecurity under a government marked by grandiosity and corruption?” Zekeri asked.
Although he acknowledged that the courts had upheld the official result of the 2023 presidential election, he maintained that a court victory should not shield the government from scrutiny.
“We recognise that the courts affirmed the official result of the 2023 presidential election. Nevertheless, a legal victory does not amount to successful governance, nor does it place an administration beyond public examination and accountability,” he said.
‘Leadership Should Be Judged by Results’
The Obi media office spokesperson said winning an election should not be treated as the ultimate achievement of political leadership.
According to him, electoral success comes with the responsibility to improve the welfare of citizens and deliver measurable results.
“Leadership should be judged not by the ability to win or appropriate an election or defend its result in court but by the capacity to transform political authority into concrete outcomes,” Zekeri said.
He challenged Alake and the APC to explain the administration’s record, particularly in the areas of economic performance, national security and the rising cost of living.
Zekeri also questioned where the relief and economic prosperity promised to Nigerians by the government had materialised.
“Where is the relief Nigerians were promised? Where is the economic prosperity? Where are the security, affordability, and renewed hope that responsible leadership should provide?” he asked.
He stressed that the success of a government should be measured by the improvements people experience in their everyday lives rather than by politicians’ celebrations of electoral victories.
“Victory should be measured not by what politicians celebrate at the polls but by what people can celebrate in their homes, workplaces, farms, and communities,” he added.
Obi’s Camp Urges APC to Focus on Governance
Zekeri called on the APC-led government to prioritise delivering tangible results for Nigerians instead of directing its attention towards attacking opposition figures.
He maintained that the administration should be judged by its ability to address economic hardship, improve security and make life more affordable for citizens.
The statement adds to the ongoing political exchanges between the ruling APC and opposition figures over the 2023 presidential election and the performance of the Tinubu administration.
Source: Statement by Peter Obi’s media office
