Former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, has accused Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, of spreading false information about Nigeria’s debt profile, claiming it is deterring foreign investors from the country.

Legit.ng reported that Peter Obi claimed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration borrowed more than the combined borrowings of three former presidents.

Obi said Tinubu’s administration borrowed more than former Presidents Umar Yar’Adua, Goodluck Jonathan, and Muhamadu Buhari.

Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, July 9, Omokri alleged that Obi’s statements were misleading and damaging to the country’s economic prospects.

As reported by Vanguard, Omokri said some investors currently operating in Nigeria are considering exiting the market due to Obi’s remarks. “That is not true. He doesn’t rile me up. I rile him up,” Omokri said during the interview. “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.

“One of the lies he told is that President Tinubu has borrowed more than the administrations of Yar’Adua, Jonathan, Buhari. That is a blatant lie.”

Backing his claims, Omokri referenced figures from the Debt Management Office (DMO), maintaining that President Bola Tinubu has actually reduced Nigeria’s external debt burden since taking office.

“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,” he said.

“As of 2015, Nigeria was owing a total of $63 billion. When Buhari was leaving office, Nigeria was owing $113 billion. Today, from the DMO, our debt has gone from $113 billion to $97 billion, meaning that Tinubu has reduced our debt by over $14 billion.

“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.”