The Nigeria Democratic Congress has challenged President Bola Tinubu to account for the financial benefits of fuel subsidy removal, asking why the Federal Government continues to take heavy loans despite generating higher revenue. The party made this demand while responding to recent political criticism from the president ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
According to Vanguard, the challenge was contained in a statement by Dr. Chiogo Ikokwu, spokesperson of the NDC National Presidential Campaign Council. The party argued that its standard-bearer, Peter Obi, alongside his running mate Rabiu Kwankwaso, would stop what it termed the erosion of the nation’s commonwealth through fiscal discipline and prudent resource management.
The party’s statement came after President Tinubu took a swipe at Obi during an All Progressives Congress campaign rally in Akwa Ibom State. Without mentioning Obi directly by name, the president had mocked the former Anambra governor for failing to tackle the state's gully erosion, contrasting it with how his own administration tamed the Atlantic Ocean in Lagos State.
Reacting to the remarks, the NDC insisted the president should focus on halting the erosion of public resources rather than trading words over environmental challenges. The opposition group noted that citizens are dealing with rising poverty, unemployment, insecurity, and high living costs while the country spends heavily on servicing loans instead of funding critical sectors like education and healthcare.
Defending Obi’s record in Anambra, the NDC highlighted that he helped launch the World Bank-backed Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project in the state. The party added that Obi constructed concrete drainage networks across Adazi Nnukwu, Amawbia, and Umuoji, while actively seeking federal intervention funds.
The NDC also contrasted both politicians' records as former governors, claiming Obi left $500 million in investments and funds, including $156 million in dollar-denominated bonds, by the end of his tenure in 2014. Meanwhile, the party cited Debt Management Office figures putting Lagos State’s external debt at around $190.43 million when Tinubu left office in 2007. It further faulted the Lagos pension law for former governors, which provided houses, vehicles, and lifetime allowances, noting that Obi never set up such benefits in Anambra.
