Presidential Aide Criticises Peter Obi Over Praise for Argentina’s Economic Reforms

Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Digital Communications, Engagement and Strategy, O’tega Ogra, has criticised 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi over his recent commendation of Argentina’s economic reforms.

On August 11, Obi attributed Nigeria’s worsening hunger and poverty to what he described as “incompetent leadership lacking capacity and compassion” The former Anambra State governor said the economic hardship confronting millions of Nigerians was not a remote statistic but a daily reality for survival.

Obi compared Nigeria’s inflation and poverty rates to those of Argentina, arguing that the South American nation’s policy measures including removal of fuel and electricity subsidies, currency devaluation, and sweeping public sector cuts, should serve as a model for Nigeria. He claimed Argentina had recorded a sharp decline in inflation and poverty rates within two years of implementing these reforms.

However, in a statement on Tuesday, Ogra dismissed the comparison, stating that it overlooked Argentina’s broader economic context and exposed inconsistencies in Obi’s position.

“Before Argentina’s President Javier Milei began his reforms, inflation was already around 114.2%. Four months after the reforms began, inflation surged to about 289%, with prices more than tripling in just 12 months” Ogra said.