{"id":47946,"date":"2023-01-25T17:49:53","date_gmt":"2023-01-25T17:49:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.climatechangenews.com\/?p=47946"},"modified":"2023-01-26T10:02:55","modified_gmt":"2023-01-26T10:02:55","slug":"despite-killer-floods-nigerian-presidential-frontrunners-dismiss-climate-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.climatechangenews.com\/2023\/01\/25\/despite-killer-floods-nigerian-presidential-frontrunners-dismiss-climate-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Despite killer floods, Nigerian presidential frontrunners dismiss climate change"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last year, flooding across Nigeria killed over 600<\/a> people and displaced hundreds of thousands more. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Although climate change made this event more likely<\/a>, the country’s leading presidential candidates have so far failed to take the issue seriously on the campaign trail.<\/p>\n

A month away from general elections, Nigerian climate expert professor Chukwumerije Okereke told Climate Home that, in spite of the extreme floods last year, climate change was still not a decisive issue in the country’s elections. <\/span><\/p>\n

The leading candidate in the latest polls,\u00a0Peter Obi,<\/a> has dismissed the importance of addressing the climate crisis, while the second place, Bola Tinubu<\/a>, has supported coal expansion. <\/span>Atiku Abubakar<\/a> is polling in third place.<\/span><\/p>\n

Okereke said that Obi was the only one to even visit flood victims.<\/span><\/p>\n

Obi plays it down<\/h3>\n

On Twitter, <\/span>Obi said<\/span><\/a> the floods were \u201clinked [to] climate change which is real\u201d. In person though, he has dismissed climate change\u2019s importance.<\/span><\/p>\n

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even in other parts of the nation, and help them sail through the turbulent times. I also call on the relevant authorities to intensify efforts to mitigate loses and casualties resulting from natural disasters.These unprecedented flooding are linked climate change, which is real.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Peter Obi (@PeterObi) September 21, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n