LAGOS, Nigeria — The NDC Presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi has intensified his criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, saying the economic hardship in the country has become so severe that many Nigerians who once ran thriving businesses are now forced into petty trading just to survive.
“There is a way you fail in school, they will ask you to leave… Those who had business when Tinubu came to power are now the ones told to selling kulikuli,” Obi said, using the remark to underscore what he described as the collapse of purchasing power and the shrinking fortunes of small business owners.
The former Anambra State governor has made similar comments in recent months, repeatedly warning that Nigeria is drifting deeper into poverty because of poor policy choices and weak leadership. He has argued that the country needs a government that understands production, protects small enterprises, and creates an environment where businesses can grow rather than disappear.
Obi has also said on several occasions that Nigerians are not lazy, but are being crushed by inflation, unemployment, and the rising cost of basic goods. In other remarks, he has stressed that governance should be measured by its impact on ordinary people, insisting that leaders must be held accountable when citizens can no longer afford food, transport, or the cost of running a business.
His latest statement adds to a long line of criticisms he has directed at Tinubu’s government, which he says has failed to ease the burden on traders, artisans, and entrepreneurs now struggling to keep their livelihoods afloat in an increasingly difficult economy.
