Omokri defends Tinubu, says Nigeria’s debt has dropped by $14bn under current administration
Former presidential aide and political commentator Reno Omokri has accused Labour Party’s 2027 presidential hopeful, Peter Obi, of spreading false information about Nigeria’s debt profile, warning that such statements are scaring off foreign investors and damaging the country’s economic reputation.
Speaking on Channels Television, Omokri lashed out at Obi’s recent claim that the Tinubu administration has borrowed more than all previous governments combined, calling it a “blatant lie.”
“Peter Obi’s lies are driving investors away from Nigeria,” Omokri declared. “There are foreign investors in Nigeria that are making investment decisions to leave Nigeria because of the lie he told.”
Omokri cited figures from the Debt Management Office (DMO) to argue that Nigeria’s external debt has decreasedsince Tinubu took office:
“When Buhari was leaving office, Nigeria was owing $113 billion. Today, our debt has gone from $113 billion to $97 billion. Tinubu has reduced our debt by over $14 billion,” he said.
He also accused Obi of converting dollar-denominated debt into naira in public discourse to inflate the perception of national debt, alleging the former Anambra governor is intentionally misleading the public for political gain.
The development adds fuel to the growing rivalry between Obi and Tinubu’s allies as the 2027 election season begins to take shape.
