The Tinubu Media Support Group (TMSG) has said that the recent interview by the 2023 Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi has again shown him as a pathologically deceitful man who cannot be trusted by Nigerian voters. He lies through his teeth.
This, according to the group, is because of his several false claims in the interview aired on Channels TV and monitored by many viewers.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Emeka Nwankpa, and Secretary, Dapo Okubanjo, TMSG said that it was alarming that Obi had no qualms regaling viewers with unverifiable claims on national television to de-market President Bola Tinubu’s focused administration.
It said: “After sitting through the nearly one-hour-long interview of Mr Peter Obi on Channels TV, we came to the fearful conclusion that the former Anambra governor can do just anything in the name of playing dirty politics of deceit and mischief to hoodwink people. This is ‘Gbajue’ to quote erudite Professor Wole Soyinka.
” Mr. Peter Obi’s egregious lying streak dominated his theatrical responses to questions on sundry national issues at the interview, ranging from President Bola Tinubu’s policies, the new opposition coalition, to his own stint in government.
“We have no problem with an opposition figure criticising the President or his administration, but it amounts to a dismal disregard and disservice to the Nigerian people that such a man should resort to barefaced lies just to de-market and paint the government in a bad light.
“How else can anyone describe Mr. Peter Obi’s incredible claim that President Tinubu has in the last two years borrowed more than the trio of former Presidents Umaru Yar’adua, Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari combined
“He alleged that the Tinubu administration met a public debt stock of N80 trillion and has moved it to ‘almost N180 trillion without anything to show for it’, suggesting that the federal government had borrowed N100 trillion in two years.
“As this claim is not logical, this is not the first time the former LP Presidential candidate would be pushing such an allegation, even when he or his media handlers could have easily checked the website of the Debt Management Office (DMO) for accurate figures if he really is as competent as he claims.
“The truth is that what the Tinubu government inherited was a public debt of N87 trillion which included external and domestic debts of the federal government, the 36 states, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“But the reality is that the federal government’s debt and that of the subnationals are about N149.39 trillion as of March 2025, according to the DMO.
“And like many people have noted, what Obi did was to mischievously play up the naira value of the public debt stock of $97.34 billion using the current ₦1, 560/$1 as a result of the devaluation of the naira to make it look like the current government indulged in more borrowing.
“Whereas there is an increase in domestic borrowings, there is a drop in the federal government’s external debt because the Tinubu administration has been keeping faith with debt repayment terms.
“It is also unfortunate that Obi suggested that a chunk of the Tinubu-era borrowings were for consumption without citing examples. All the necessary facts are on the DMO website, including the projects the borrowings are tied to.”
The group urged Nigerians to see DMO as the authentic authority on the country’s debt profile, not depreciators and disparagers like the former Anambra state governor peddling pedestrian tales to seek cheap publicity.
“Nigerians should be wary of Gbajue men like Peter Obi. A stitch in time saves nine, “the group said.
