Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has rejected President Bola Tinubu’s criticism of his performance in tackling erosion during his tenure as Anambra State governor, insisting that he contributed to developing the programme currently being used to address the problem.
Tinubu had criticised Obi’s administration at an All Progressives Congress (APC) rally in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, over the weekend, accusing the former governor of having “ran away from erosion” while citing environmental projects carried out in Lagos.
However, Obi dismissed the allegation as false during an interview on Rhythm FM Jos on Tuesday, ahead of the NDC town hall meeting in Plateau State.
The former Anambra governor explained that he collaborated with a former Minister of Environment to develop the erosion-control programme, which was later adopted after he presented the proposal to the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
“On what the president said while campaigning in Akwa Ibom, it’s not true. I, working with the former minister of environment, developed what they’re using today to fight erosion,” Obi said.
“I went to President Yar’Adua, made a suggestion to him. He called the minister and said he should go and develop it.”
Obi governed Anambra State between 2006 and 2014, a period during which the state grappled with serious erosion challenges.
At the Uyo rally, Tinubu had questioned Obi’s capacity to lead the country, using the erosion situation in Anambra as an example of what he described as failures during his time as governor.
Speaking on his visit to Plateau State, Obi said his engagement with residents was part of his approach to understanding their challenges before commencing campaign rallies.
He maintained that political candidates should first listen to the experiences and concerns of citizens before presenting their plans for addressing them.
The NDC presidential candidate also identified insecurity across parts of central Nigeria as a major concern, stressing the need to restore safety so residents could return to their communities, conduct businesses and engage in farming without fear.
Obi said his administration, if elected, would prioritise essential public services, particularly education and healthcare, while expanding insurance coverage for vulnerable Nigerians.
“Unless children go to school without fear, unless parents go to farms without fear, we don’t have a country,” he said.
“You cannot stay in a developing country and a developing world if you have poor health accessibility and poor education accessibility. Education and health are the foundation for development. I will invest in them.”
