The opposition Nigeria Democratic Congress wants the cost-of-living argument moved out of the realm of rhetoric and into the open, with both sides putting their figures on the table.
In a statement on Thursday, the party called on Vice-President Kashim Shettima and the federal government to answer Peter Obi’s economic claims with data rather than dismissal. Public debate, it said, should centre on how ordinary Nigerians’ lives are changing.
To make its case, the NDC pointed to higher prices since 2023 for petrol, rice, cement and bread, along with climbing rents, which it described as signs of growing strain on households. If the government disputes Obi’s analysis, the party said, it should publish its own numbers and explain how it arrived at them.
The price comparisons and poverty figures in the statement are the NDC’s claims and have not been independently verified for this report.
The party also suggested the government look abroad for ideas, citing countries such as Bangladesh, whose poverty-reduction approach it said included support for agriculture, export manufacturing, social protection, and investment in education and infrastructure.
With the 2027 elections approaching, the NDC said Nigerians should judge the government on results in areas including poverty, education, business conditions, public safety and the use of public funds.
The statement was signed by Dr Chiogo Constance Ikokwu, spokesperson for the NDC National Campaign Council. It faulted the government’s handling of Obi’s use of statistics and argued that any dispute over the figures should be resolved by releasing evidence and explaining the analysis behind it.
