Peter Obi
By Olamilekan Tosin
O’tega Ogra, Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Digital Communications, Engagement and Strategy, has criticized Peter Obi’s praise for Argentina’s economic reforms under President Javier Milei. Obi described Argentina’s reforms as a model Nigeria should follow, citing a sharp drop in inflation and poverty rates within two years. However, Ogra argues that Obi’s comparison between Argentina and Nigeria ignores the full economic context and reveals a clear inconsistency in his positions.
According to Ogra, Argentina’s inflation rate skyrocketed to 289% after implementing reforms, whereas Nigeria’s inflation rate peaked at 34.80% in December 2024 and has since dropped to 22.22%. He emphasized that Nigeria never faced the extreme volatility and human suffering Argentina did during its reforms. “Nigeria under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is on the same successful path, only with less pain, no extreme human cost like Argentina’s, and better numbers,” he said.
Ogra questioned Obi’s consistency, saying, “Why is Peter Gregory so inconsistent? He has continuously rallied against the removal of subsidies and other similar reforms here yet he is praising the even worse shock therapy in Argentina as a model that should be done.” He urged Nigerians to focus on sustaining reforms, cushioning the impact on citizens, and maintaining policy consistency rather than abandoning course for gradualist approaches that have failed in other economies.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar also weighed in on the issue, praising Milei’s economic reforms and criticizing Tinubu’s approach. Atiku said Milei’s stabilization plan, which includes cutting government expenditure, blocking government fund theft, and attracting foreign direct investment, is a model Nigeria should follow. He contrasted this with Tinubu’s administration, which has increased the number of ministers and ministries while spending enormous resources on renovations and other projects.
