- Omokri claimed some foreign investors want to exit Nigeria because of Obi’s misleading claims about national debt.
- He insisted Tinubu did not increase Nigeria’s debt but reduced it by over $14bn since taking office.
The former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, has accused the former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, of lying about Nigeria’s debt profile.
He made the accusation on Wednesday while speaking during a live interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
Omokri claimed Obi’s statements were harming the country’s image among international investors.
He said some foreign investors currently doing business in Nigeria are considering leaving the country due to Obi’s alleged misinformation.
According to the former presidential spokesman: “That is not true. He doesn’t rile me up. I rile him up.”
He continued: “The reason why I came here is because I’m a patriot. Peter Obi lied. You know, foreign direct investors are watching your programme, who are making investment decisions not to come to Nigeria.”
“There are foreign investors in Nigeria that are making investment decisions to leave Nigeria because of the lie he told.”
He cited Obi’s claim that President Bola Tinubu had borrowed more than the administrations of Umaru Musa Yar’adua, Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari combined.
“That is a blatant lie,” Omokri said.
“I have here with me data from the Debt Management Office, and Nigerians who are watching can go to DMO.com and search Debt Management Office, Nigeria State of Indebtedness 2015.”
“As of 2015, Nigeria was owing a total of 63 billion dollars.”
He noted that when Buhari left office, Nigeria’s total debt stood at 113 billion dollars.
“Today, from the DMO, our debt has gone from 113 billion dollars to 97 billion dollars, meaning that Tinubu has reduced our debt by over 14 billion dollars,” he said.
He stated that Tinubu deserves credit for this reduction.
Omokri said: “We should be appreciating this man. Yet Peter Obi came here and lied to the Nigerian people.”
“He took the debts and translated them into naira to make it look like the debts have increased.”