The Democratic Front (TDF) has defended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s comparison of Nigeria’s economic situation with that of Kenya, while taking a swipe at former Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, over his public commentary on government policies.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Mallam Danjuma Muhammad, and Secretary, Chief Wale Adedayo, the group said it found Obi’s recent remarks on Tinubu’s benchmarking of Nigeria against Kenya “amusing” and accused him of inconsistency in his use of economic data.
TDF argued that Obi has a history of “misrepresenting statistics to support narratives,” particularly during the 2023 election period, and faulted his criticism of cross-country comparisons made by the President.
“Mr Obi introduced the art of using fabricated statistics to justify false narratives during the 2023 electioneering campaigns,” the group claimed, adding that his approach to public analysis reflects “a desire to sound intelligent without proper grounding in data.”
The group further defended Tinubu’s reference to Kenya, insisting that both countries share similarities in economic structure and development challenges as African democracies.
According to the statement, “It was appropriate for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to compare Nigeria with Kenya in view of similarities in economic challenges and geopolitical affinity.”
TDF also referenced recent economic developments in both countries, including tax reforms and fuel pricing, arguing that Nigeria’s policy outcomes compare favourably in certain areas.
It stated that fuel prices in Kenya were higher than in Nigeria, while also claiming that Kenya and South Africa rely on refined petroleum products linked to Nigeria’s Dangote Refinery for economic stability.
The group urged Obi to adopt more “data-driven and balanced analysis” in his public interventions, warning against what it described as “political misrepresentation of economic realities.”
TDF concluded by describing Obi’s approach as “political posturing,” while insisting that President Tinubu’s benchmarking approach remained valid for evaluating national progress within comparable economies in Africa.
