Presidency: Obi praises Argentina’s harsh reforms, rejects similar moves in Nigeria
O’tega Ogra, senior special assistant to the president on digital communications, has accused Peter Obi of “double standards” over his recent remarks on Argentina’s economic reforms.
In a statement on his X page on Tuesday, Ogra faulted Obi’s comparison between Nigeria under President Bola Tinubu and Argentina under President Javier Milei.
On August 11, during a lecture at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Obi said hunger and poverty in Nigeria were products of “incompetent leadership that lacks compassion”.
He drew parallels between Nigeria’s inflation and poverty levels and Argentina’s, noting what he described as a sharp drop in the South American country’s figures within two years.
Ogra, however, said Obi’s comparison was inconsistent with the actual economic timeline in Argentina.
“Before Argentina’s President Javier Milei began his reforms, inflation was already at around 114.2 percent then rose to about 289 percent four months into his reforms with prices more than tripling in 12 months.
“After Argentina removed subsidies on fuel and electricity, floated the currency, and slashed thousands of public sector jobs completely, inflation spiked even higher,” Ogra said.
The presidential aide argued that Milei’s first two years were “a very difficult period for Argentines” and worse than Tinubu’s first two years in office.
“When Milei took office in December 2023, inflation was already at 211.4 percent. It peaked at about 289 percent just four months into his reforms before easing to 39.4 percent by June 2025. Prices are still rising, only slower than before.
“Both Argentina and Nigeria are in disinflation phases. The difference is that Nigeria never faced the extreme volatility and human suffering Argentina did.
“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 added.
Ogra accused Obi of applying different standards in his assessment of reforms abroad and at home.
“It beats me how, according to him, the same medicine is ‘good leadership’ in Buenos Aires, but ‘incompetence’ in Abuja. One question though: 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. Either he doesn’t do his homework well, lacks the knowledge, or he is being disingenuous,” Ogra said.
