Political analyst and Arise News anchor Rufai Oseni has stated that poverty figures increased in Anambra State during the tenure of former governor Peter Obi, urging political observers to focus on verifiable data rather than sentiment.
Speaking during a recent broadcast, Oseni pointed to historical data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) to support his assertion, noting that poverty rates in the state moved from the high 40% range to over 50% during Obi’s administration.
Acknowledging educational strides
While addressing Obi’s overall record, Oseni noted that the former governor recorded notable achievements in specific sectors, particularly education.
“Did you do some other things? Yes. Did you take the state from 26 position to number one position in WAEC? Yes, there are facts to that,” Oseni stated, referencing Anambra’s dramatic rise in national examination rankings during Obi’s governorship.
Demand for concrete national policy blueprints
Looking ahead to future political contests, Oseni argued that a major hurdle for the Labour Party candidate will be detailing how his state-level policies can be scaled effectively to solve national challenges.
He called on Obi to present comprehensive policy documents outlining plans for power generation, industrialisation, healthcare, and economic management.
“I would like to see how he can produce that 10,000 megawatts. I would like to see how we fix production, the consumption to production… Is there an industrial plan? I would like to see his plan on health care. I would like to see his plan on subsidy,” Oseni emphasised.
He added that simply maintaining fuel subsidies without a structured framework to curb inflation remains insufficient, stressing that political candidates must campaign on both their past records and realistic solutions for Nigeria’s governance hurdles.
