The presidency has criticised the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi for his comments on the recent stampedes that claimed multiple lives in Oyo, Anambra, and Abuja.
Scores of Nigerians, including children, died while scrambling for palliatives in the affected areas, sparking national outrage and mourning.
In a statement, Obi described the tragedies as mirror of the country’s worsening poverty and extended his condolences to the victims’ families.
“The desperate quest for survival in these harsh economic times has driven our people to extremes in their search for food, often at the cost of their lives,” Obi stated.
However, Tinubu’s spokesman Sunday Dare condemned Obi’s remarks, labeling them as lacking “statesmanship and decency.”
Dare in a statement on his X handle, stated, “When seeking someone who benefits from the misfortune of others or from confusion, what the Yoruba people describe as ‘Aríje nínú Màdàrú,’ look no further than Peter Obi.”
“His recent remarks regarding the avoidable tragedies in Anambra and Oyo states lack statesmanship and decency, even as he wallows in the fading waters of his much-vaunted political victory. This attempt to score cheap political point falls flat.”
He further noted that leaders are expected to offer support in times like this, emphasising the importance of crowd management and enforcement to prevent precarious situations.
He insisted the economic policies implemented by Bola Tinubu would in no time yield positive results.
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“This government is committed to ensuring that the economic difficulties of this period are resolved swiftly in Nigeria so that the standard of living of the average Nigerian can improve.
“However, we must not lose sight of the need for patience, orderliness, crowd management, and enforcement of necessary permits for such events.
“Yes, the government has a role to play, but citizens also have responsibilities. Beyond that the ongoing reforms have started to bear fruits and soon Nigeria will feel the positive impacts,” he added.
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