The ruling party highlighted what it described as economic milestones under Tinubu’s administration, citing a recent Chatham House report that described Nigeria’s economy as "the most competitive it has been in 25 years."

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has fired back at Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, following his criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies.

The ruling party declared that the administration’s achievements "need no opposition validation."

In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, the APC described Obi’s remarks during an interview on Arise Television on April 1 as "desperate" and lacking "any sensible economic argument."

Obi had accused Tinubu of poor implementation of economic reforms, claiming he would have performed better if elected. However, the APC dismissed his comments as "a symptom of election failure-induced hangover," stating that opposition politics should involve constructive criticism rather than "wholesale condemnation."

The ruling party highlighted what it described as economic milestones under Tinubu’s administration, citing a recent Chatham House report that described Nigeria’s economy as "the most competitive it has been in 25 years."

The statement further criticised Obi’s tenure as Anambra governor, accusing him of leaving behind "economic stagnation, infrastructural decay, and religious polarisation." The party said Obi’s records as governor are in contrast with Tinubu’s achievements as Lagos governor and now as president.

The statement reads in part: "During an interview on Prime Time on Arise Television on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra State and presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general elections, repeated his usual accusations, alleging that President Bola Tinubu has performed poorly in implementing economic reforms and claiming he would have done better.

"To be honest, it was painful to watch Mr. Obi struggle in vain to present any sensible economic argument in the face of the administration’s undeniable progress. Even his trademark opportunistic sensationalism—exaggerating the temporary difficulties Nigerians have endured in patriotic support of the President’s bold and transformative economic plan—offered him no respite. He floundered on national television, appearing as a portrait of frustration and political desperation.

"Mr. Obi’s favorite retort, ‘I would have done better as president,’ seems to be a symptom of a protracted election defeat-induced hangover. He has yet to wake up to the reality that he is not the president. Like an unlicensed backseat driver who fancies himself a race car driver, Mr. Obi needs to curb his bloated and delusional imagination.

"Opposition politics is not about denying the administration’s many successes. It is about critiquing what may be wrong while acknowledging what is right. It is not about wholesale condemnation designed to mislead the public and score cheap political points. The steady progress of the Tinubu administration across sectors is undeniable and evident for all Nigerians to see.

"It is ironic that Mr. Obi, whose tenure as governor of Anambra State—covering only 21 local government areas—was marked by economic stagnation, infrastructural decay, ecological disasters, and religious polarisation, now boasts of his capacity to govern Africa’s largest democracy.

"Both as the former governor of Lagos State and now as President, Tinubu has consistently demonstrated his ability to tackle challenges and transform them into opportunities. Just as he did for Lagos, he is now doing for Nigeria. The economy is rebounding steadily, posting successive trade surpluses and achieving a projected economic growth rate of 3.6 percent for the current fiscal year.

“Foreign reserves are expanding, local refineries are operational, food inflation is declining, and the successful harmonization of multiple exchange rates has increased foreign direct investment and remittances. Additionally, the forex market remains relatively stable.

"The administration has also cleared a $7 billion forex backlog and reduced the Ways and Means debt of over $30 billion. The debt service ratio has dropped from 98 percent to about 64 percent. Oil production now exceeds 1.8 million barrels per day (mbpd), surpassing the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) quota of 1.5 mbpd for the first time in years.

"The Nigerian stock exchange has been repositioned and is now one of the most profitable in the world. The agricultural, mining, steel, manufacturing, and creative sectors are all expanding to boost non-oil GDP contributions. Recently, Chatham House adjudged Nigeria’s economy as the most competitive it has been in 25 years.

"While global institutions and experts applaud President Tinubu’s silent economic revolution, Obi and his co-opposition members continue their empty partisan rhetoric, refusing to acknowledge the administration’s remarkable mid-term achievements."

"President Tinubu remains undistracted and focused on ensuring good governance and improved economic conditions for all Nigerians," the statement concluded."