PETER OBI’S IRRESPONSIBLE COMMENT ON REVENUE TARGETS BETRAYS ECONOMIC ILLITERACY
“Revenue targets are meaningless amid rising poverty”, Obi
REJOIDER BY LAGOS STATE APC: PETER OBI’S IRRESPONSIBLE COMMENT ON REVENUE TARGETS BETRAYS ECONOMIC ILLITERACY
The Lagos State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is compelled to respond to yet another reckless and economically incoherent statement by Mr. Peter Obi, the former Governor of Anambra State and failed presidential candidate of the Labour Party, who recently declared that “revenue targets are meaningless amid rising poverty.”
Such a statement, coming from someone who still parades himself as an economic reformer, is not only disappointing- it is downright embarrassing. It reinforces what discerning Nigerians have come to realize: Peter Obi’s rhetoric is long on populism but woefully short on substance. His post-election bitterness continues to cloud his judgment, making him a consistent source of confusion rather than clarity in national discourse.
Obi Is Wrong – and He Knows It
To suggest that government revenue targets are “meaningless” in the face of poverty is not just laughably inaccurate; it is economically reckless. Every serious government- local, state, or federal- sets revenue targets because without revenue, you simply cannot fund education, healthcare, infrastructure, or the very poverty alleviation Obi pretends to champion.
The Lagos APC finds it deeply ironic that this statement comes from a man who, as governor, prided himself on “saving money,” yet failed to invest significantly in long-term infrastructure or the people. What exactly does Obi think drives social investment if not sustainable, well-managed revenue generation?
Peter Obi is old enough, experienced enough, and- one would hope-intelligent enough to know that this kind of economic ignorance will haunt his legacy. Long after the lights of the 2027 campaign have faded, Mr. Obi will look back on moments like this with regret, knowing he used his platform not to elevate the national debate but to pollute it with simplistic soundbites.
Lagos: The Model Obi Can’t Deny
Lagos State, under the leadership of the APC, is the clearest proof that targeted revenue generation can deliver tangible benefits to the people. We have built world-class infrastructure, improved public transportation, attracted foreign investment, and driven job creation-not by ignoring revenue targets, but by setting and achieving them.
Unlike Peter Obi’s Anambra, which he governed with a miser’s calculator and little vision, Lagos has shown that economic growth and poverty alleviation are not mutually exclusive-they are two sides of the same coin, driven by disciplined revenue management.
Populism is Not Policy
Mr. Obi should stop trying to stay relevant by making wild, headline-grabbing remarks that collapse under the weight of scrutiny. Governance is not activism, and policy is not performance art. Nigerians are beginning to see through his carefully packaged brand of economic quackery-and many are asking: if this is the kind of thinking he would have brought to Aso Rock, then perhaps the country truly dodged a bullet.
Final Word
Peter Obi has made a habit of weaponizing poverty for political gain, without offering any coherent pathway out of it. To dismiss revenue targets in a time of fiscal constraint is not just bad economics- it is dangerous populism. We expect more from someone who still fantasizes about leading a complex economy like Nigeria.
We advise Mr. Obi to either educate himself on the basics of fiscal policy or quietly withdraw from public commentary before he further embarrasses himself. One thing is clear: this is not the legacy of a serious statesman- and deep down, even Peter Obi knows it.
Mogaji (Hon) Seye Oladejo.
Lagos APC Spokesman.
06/09/25
