IN SHORT: Nigeria's rising cost of living has sparked debate about the president's ability to deliver on his promises. But there’s no evidence to support a claim that his rival said he could’ve done better within a month.
Nigeria is struggling with a rise in the cost of living, the devaluation of the naira and an increase in fuel prices.
These have sparked a debate about the ability of president Bola Tinubu to deliver the “renewed hope” he promised. Tinubu has been in office since 29 May 2023.
While some have applauded the president's policies, others are sceptical.
A screenshot shared on Facebook in Nigeria claims that Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate, said he would have done a better job had he won the February election.
It reads: “I Would Have Fixed Nigeria In One Month – Peter Obi Boasts.”
Obi came third in the election, but went to court to challenge Tinubu’s victory. The case has been heard, but the tribunal is yet to announce its verdict.
We found the same claim on Facebook here, here, here, here and here.
But did Obi really make this statement? We checked.
No proof Obi said so
We found no report by credible media houses that Obi made such a statement. It would have been reported, if it were true, given the state of the country and the controversy surrounding Tinubu's election victory.
The statement is also not on Obi's verified Twitter account.
We found the original story as shared in the screenshot. It is on a blog formed off a popular Facebook group in Nigeria.
The story itself claims that Obi said he would have formed a “credible economic team within a month”, not what the headline says.
During his nationwide election campaign, Obi expressed his intention to tackle Nigeria's problems. But according to local media reports, he said he could do it in four years, if elected.
There is no evidence to prove that Obi said he could fix the country in a month.
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