The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has urged the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government to respond to statistics presented by its candidate, Peter Obi, on Nigeria’s worsening economic and social conditions with verifiable facts rather than personal attacks.
The NDC said that the government’s persistent criticism of Obi for citing statistics was troubling, arguing that figures on the country’s economic realities should provoke constructive engagement and policy responses rather than political hostility.
The position was contained in a statement signed by the NDC National Campaign Council Spokesperson, Dr. Chiogo Constance Ikokwu, on Thursday.
Ikokwu maintained that statistics were essential tools for measuring progress, identifying policy failures, and guiding governance, noting that any government confident in its performance should welcome scrutiny.
Citing the rising cost of living, she stated that the average price of petrol had increased from ₦238.11 per litre in May 2023 to between ₦1,300 and ₦1,435 in 2026.
She also highlighted the increase in the prices of essential commodities, including rice, cement and bread, as well as rising urban rents in major cities such as Lagos and Abuja.
According to her, a 50kg bag of rice, which sold for approximately ₦35,000 to ₦40,000 in mid-2023, now costs between ₦50,000 and ₦90,000 or more, depending on the brand and market.
Similarly, she said that the price of a 50kg bag of cement had risen from between ₦4,010 and ₦5,300 in 2023 to between ₦10,500 and ₦15,000 in 2026, while the price of a loaf of bread had increased from ₦500-₦700 to between ₦1,200 and ₦2,000.
The NDC spokesperson challenged the Federal Government to publish credible data, explain its methodology, and identify any inaccuracies in Obi’s figures if it disagreed with his assessment.
She further argued that Nigeria could learn valuable lessons from developing countries that had recorded significant progress in poverty reduction, particularly Bangladesh.
Ikokwu noted that Bangladesh, with a population of about 178 million, had lifted approximately 34 million people out of poverty between 2010 and 2022, reducing its extreme poverty rate from 12.2 per cent to 5.6 per cent.
She attributed the country’s progress to five major pillars — agricultural growth, export-oriented manufacturing, microfinance and non-governmental organisations, social safety nets, and investment in human capital and infrastructure.
She also identified Vietnam, Rwanda, Morocco, and India as countries from which Nigeria could draw lessons in development and poverty reduction.
Ikokwu expressed concern over Nigeria’s poverty situation, saying the country had been classified as the poverty capital of the world, with an estimated 63 per cent poverty rate and more than 140 million people experiencing multidimensional poverty.
She also referenced a recent United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) report, which she said indicated that previous poverty reduction gains in Nigeria appeared to have been reversed.
The NDC spokesperson questioned why a country with Nigeria’s abundant natural and human resources continued to record a significant increase in the number of people falling into poverty.
She argued that the government’s inability to learn from successful development models elsewhere had contributed to the country’s worsening conditions.
With the 2027 general elections approaching, Ikokwu called on Nigerians to critically assess the government’s performance, particularly in the areas of poverty reduction, education, business growth, security, and the overall welfare of citizens.
She stressed the need for leaders who possessed the humility to learn, the competence to implement effective policies, and the courage to submit themselves to public accountability.
She further called for evidence-based governance, measurable progress, and improved living conditions for Nigerians.
