Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has called on President Bola Tinubu to account for money saved from the removal of the fuel subsidy and from government borrowing.

What Obi said

In a statement on his X account on Saturday, 7 November 2026, titled 'Good Day, Mr President: Nigerians Deserve Accountability', Obi said the large sums flowing into government coffers, including higher tax revenues, should be producing clear improvements in Nigerians' daily lives. He urged the President to visit the remaining 33 states he has not yet toured, spend time with the people and explain what his administration had done with the ₦15.8 trillion he said had been saved from subsidy removal, the more than $100 billion he said had been borrowed, and increased revenue from taxes.

The background to the exchange

Obi's statement came a day after Tinubu, speaking in Akwa Ibom, criticised the former Anambra governor's record on erosion in the state. At a reception in Uyo the same day, Tinubu said the naira would have become worthless without his reforms and that Nigeria would never go back to the subsidy. Vice-President Kashim Shettima also told an APC rally in Uyo that Obi had run himself out of the race.

The figures

Obi did not give a breakdown of how he arrived at the figures. The World Bank reported this week that Nigeria's total external debt, including private-sector debt, rose to about $145 billion in 2025. The government says its borrowing is needed to fund infrastructure and that its reforms have saved the economy from collapse.

What happens next

The Presidency had not publicly responded to Obi's statement at the time of writing. The presidential election is scheduled for 16 January 2027.

A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Afam Victor Ogene, has questioned what he sees as growing political hostility towards Peter Obi, the NDC presidential candidate and Labour Party candidate in 2023, particularly from prominent politicians in the South-East.

A tale of two regions

Ogene drew attention to what he described as a striking difference between the political atmosphere in the South-West and the South-East ahead of the 2027 general elections.

According to him, governors and ministers from the South-West are not publicly attacking Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde over his perceived presidential ambition, even though he could challenge President Bola Tinubu in 2027.

In the South-East, however, he questioned why Minister of Works David Umahi and Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo keep directing criticism at Obi, even though neither of them is contesting the presidency against him.

"Southwest governors and ministers are not attacking Seyi Makinde for contesting against Tinubu, but Umahi and Soludo keep attacking Peter Obi even when none of them is contesting. That's political immaturity," Ogene said.

Rivalry or genuine criticism?

His remarks raise a wider question about the nature of political rivalry in Nigeria, particularly in the South-East, where disagreements among prominent figures often attract public attention.

Why should politicians who are not directly competing against Obi appear more concerned about his political future than those who may eventually face him at the ballot box?

For Ogene, the issue goes beyond ordinary disagreement. His criticism suggests some leaders may be letting personal rivalry and party differences overshadow mutual respect.

The comparison with the South-West is particularly interesting. Despite belonging to different parties and having different presidential interests, leaders in that region have often managed their disagreements while keeping working relationships.

Obi is not above scrutiny

Every politician has the right to criticise another, and Obi, as an active national figure, is equally open to public scrutiny. Umahi has recently questioned whether Obi is better than him or Pius Anyim, while Soludo has backed President Tinubu. Ogene's argument raises the question of whether such criticism is based on genuine policy differences or unnecessary rivalry.

Political disagreements are unavoidable in a democracy, but how leaders handle them says a great deal about their political maturity.

Over to you

Do you agree with Hon. Ogene that South-East leaders are unnecessarily attacking Peter Obi, or are Umahi and Soludo simply exercising their right to criticise a fellow politician?

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has responded to President Bola Tinubu over questions about his investment in education, insisting that the foundation of his educational institution was laid long before he became Vice-President.

Atiku's response

Atiku, who served as Vice-President from 1999 to 2007, said the suggestion that he established a university with resources acquired while in public office was misleading.

According to him, his journey into education began in 1993, when he established ABTI Academy, six years before he took office as Vice-President under former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

He made the clarification after remarks attributed to President Tinubu questioning how he was able to set up a university while serving in government.

Why the dates matter

Atiku maintained that his investment in education was part of his business activities before he entered the country's second-highest office. By the time he became Vice-President in May 1999, he says, he had already begun building what would eventually grow into a major private institution.

That institution later became the American University of Nigeria (AUN) in Yola, Adamawa State. The university itself was established in the mid-2000s, during his time as Vice-President, which is why questions about its funding and expansion continue to come up.

Atiku also insisted that his business activities and investments are open to public scrutiny, and that anyone genuinely interested in the source and history of his wealth can examine his record.

A growing rivalry

The exchange adds another chapter to the rivalry between President Tinubu and the former Vice-President, two prominent figures whose differences have shaped several national debates.

Beyond the personal disagreement, the controversy raises a question Nigerians have long asked of their leaders: how did those who held public office acquire their wealth, and can they give a clear account of their investments?

The fact that an educational project began before someone took office does not, on its own, settle every question about its funding or later expansion. Those questions would require documentary evidence and a proper look at the institution's financial history.

The road to 2027

As activities ahead of the 2027 general election gather pace, exchanges like this between leading political figures are likely to attract even more attention.

For now, Atiku has made his position clear: his educational investment began in 1993, well before he became Vice-President, and he is prepared to have his business record examined.

Over to you

Should Nigerian politicians be required to publicly explain how they funded their major investments, regardless of when those investments began?

What was meant to be a moment of political mobilisation for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reportedly took an unexpected turn at the Item Okpi cultural festival in Aba, Abia State, when members of the crowd began chanting the name of Peter Obi.

"Obi! Obi! Obi!"

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, was addressing a large gathering at the cultural event when he turned to national politics and began appealing to the people to support President Tinubu.

The response from sections of the audience was not what he appeared to be hoping for. As Kalu spoke in support of the President, loud chants of "Obi! Obi! Obi!" reportedly rose from the crowd.

Even when the Deputy Speaker repeated the familiar declaration, "On your mandate we shall stand," the chants continued, creating an unusual scene in which the politician's message and the crowd's response seemed to be moving in opposite directions.

Why it matters

The moment has drawn attention because of Abia State's political significance and the continuing debate about the popularity of Nigeria's major political figures ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Peter Obi, who contested the 2023 presidential election under the Labour Party and is now the NDC presidential candidate, continues to command a strong following in sections of the electorate, particularly in the South-East.

For Kalu, an influential APC politician from Abia State, the incident highlights the challenge of promoting the ruling party's candidate in a region where political loyalties remain divided.

A cultural festival turned political

Chants from a crowd at a cultural gathering are not a scientific measure of how a state or region will vote. But public reactions like this can still offer a glimpse into the political conversations happening among ordinary Nigerians.

What makes this incident stand out is the setting. The gathering was mainly a cultural celebration, yet it became a scene of competing political expressions once the Deputy Speaker raised the subject of presidential support.

Over to you

Were the chants simply a spontaneous reaction from enthusiastic Obi supporters, or a sign of wider political sentiment in the area? One thing is clear: Ben Kalu was talking about Tinubu, but some voices in the crowd wanted to talk about Obi.