Reno Omokri Accuses Peter Obi of Lying About Nigeria’s Public Debt

Former presidential aide Reno Omokri has accused Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, of manipulating Nigerians with false economic data, describing him as a “liar” who exploits public ignorance for political gain.

Omokri’s comments, made on Friday via his verified X (formerly Twitter) account, came in response to Obi’s Democracy Day statement. In the address, Obi alleged that President Bola Tinubu’s administration had borrowed more than any previous government, worsening Nigeria’s debt burden.

Dismissing the claim as deceptive, Omokri said Obi used the naira equivalent of the nation’s debt to mislead the public about Tinubu’s fiscal policies.

“Yesterday, during his Democracy Day address, Peter Obi, ever the manipulator, used the Naira equivalent of our total public debt to deceive Nigerians and make it seem as though President Bola Tinubu had increased our debt,” Omokri wrote.

“Actually, Peter Obi lied, and when he lies, he speaks his native language.”

According to Omokri, the apparent rise in public debt is largely due to the floating of the naira and the end of monthly dollar interventions used to stabilize the currency under the Buhari administration.

“Yes, in naira terms, our total public debt looks as if it has increased. That is because the floatation of the Naira by President Bola Tinubu and the withdrawal of the $1.5 billion used to subsidise the Naira monthly by the Buhari regime made the Naira drop from between ₦450–₦550 to $1, to about ₦1565 today,” he explained.

He further alleged that Obi’s political strategy relies on misinformation: “Peter Obi knows this. But he is a liar and manipulator, who counts on your ignorance of the fact to play Yahoo Plus on you.”