President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has taken a direct swipe at former Anambra State Governor and presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, questioning his handling of erosion challenges during his tenure as governor.
Tinubu made the remarks on Friday, November 6, 2026, while speaking at an event in connection with a resort development reportedly built on land reclaimed from erosion.
The President drew a comparison between the environmental challenges confronting Anambra State during Obi’s administration and the coastal challenges he said he faced as governor of Lagos State.
According to Tinubu, Obi failed to confront the erosion problem in Anambra State and subsequently left office, while he took on the challenge of confronting the Atlantic Ocean during his time as Lagos governor.
Addressing the gathering, Tinubu said: “Here we are on a resort claimed from erosion, and you want to compare the brain of this man, Pastor Bassey Eno, to that of Obi? He ran away from erosion in Anambra. He ran away and he wants to be President, President of where?”
He continued by making a comparison between their respective experiences in government.
“In Anambra State, he could not confront erosion. I, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, confronted the Atlantic Ocean,” the President said.
Tinubu’s comments appeared to be a criticism of Obi’s record on environmental challenges and his suitability for the country’s highest political office. He also questioned whether Obi’s alleged response to the erosion problem reflected the leadership qualities expected of someone seeking to become President of Nigeria.
The President’s remarks brought renewed attention to the different environmental challenges faced by Lagos and Anambra, particularly the threat posed by coastal erosion and gully erosion in the two states.
Lagos, a coastal state bordering the Atlantic Ocean, has long faced concerns relating to coastal flooding, shoreline protection and land reclamation. Anambra, on the other hand, has experienced severe gully erosion in several communities, with the problem affecting roads, homes, farmlands and other public infrastructure.
The two environmental challenges require different engineering approaches and long-term interventions, although both have significant implications for residents, infrastructure and economic activities.
Tinubu’s reference to confronting the Atlantic Ocean is linked to major coastal protection and land reclamation projects undertaken in Lagos during his tenure as governor between 1999 and 2007. His administration was associated with the development of the Eko Atlantic project, although the project itself was initiated and developed through a broader partnership involving private investors and government institutions.
Obi served as governor of Anambra State from 2006 to 2014. During his administration, erosion remained one of the major environmental concerns facing the state, with several communities affected by expanding gullies and land degradation.
However, Tinubu’s remarks did not provide specific details of the erosion sites he was referring to, the interventions undertaken by the Anambra State Government during Obi’s tenure, or the particular projects he believed demonstrated his own response to the Atlantic Ocean.
The comments have added another dimension to the political exchanges involving Tinubu and Obi, who have emerged as prominent figures in Nigeria’s presidential politics.
Obi, who contested the 2023 presidential election under the Labour Party, has since become the presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), according to the report. Tinubu, meanwhile, used Friday’s appearance to draw attention to his record as Lagos governor while criticising Obi’s administration in Anambra.
The President’s comparison also placed the environmental records of the two politicians at the centre of the political conversation, particularly as both men have governed states with significant but different geographical and infrastructure challenges.
While Tinubu described his experience with the Atlantic Ocean as an example of confronting a difficult environmental challenge, his criticism of Obi centred on the persistence of erosion problems in Anambra State during the latter’s time in office.
The President’s comments were captured in a video circulating from the event.