Peter Obi Lists 20 Teaching Hospitals Left to Rot as Tinubu Spends More on Election Lawsuits Than Primary Healthcare

Former governor of Anambra State Peter Obi, has described Nigeria as a “disgraced country” after comparing the meagre release of funds for healthcare to the billions set aside for election litigation. In a statement issued on World Health Day, Obi said the country’s primary healthcare structure is almost comatose and that Nigeria now records worse infant mortality outcomes than India, a nation with a much larger population.

Obi drew attention to a recent disclosure by the Honourable Minister of Health, which showed that out of the ₦218 billion appropriated for healthcare capital expenditure, only about ₦36 million has been released. He described this as deeply troubling, especially when placed alongside the Independent National Electoral Commission’s projection of over ₦135 billion for legal expenditures related to the 2027 elections.

“The amount earmarked for election‑related litigation is far higher than what has been made available for primary healthcare, the very foundation of a nation’s wellbeing,” Obi said. He listed 20 major teaching hospitals across the country, including the University College Hospital in Ibadan, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, and Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in Zaria, all of which he said remain underfunded, overstretched, and burdened by systemic neglect.

Obi argued that a nation which prepares more for electoral disputes than for the health of its citizens is a nation that has lost its way. He called on Nigerians to ask difficult questions about the country’s true priorities. “What kind of nation are we building? And for whom?” he asked.

The former governor insisted that healthcare and education are not optional but the foundation of national development. He warned that any country that neglects them undermines its own future. He urged the federal government to urgently reorder its priorities, invest in the health and wellbeing of the people, strengthen institutions, and build a system that works for all, not just a few.

Obi concluded his statement with his trademark slogan, “A new Nigeria is POssible.” The statement comes amid growing criticism of the federal government’s budget priorities, with opposition figures and civil society groups questioning why billions are being set aside for legal battles while public hospitals lack basic equipment and essential medicines. As of press time, the federal government had not issued an official response to Obi’s allegations.

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