Peter Obi lacks moral right to speak on Nigeria's poverty situation – Sanwo-Olu

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has criticized former Anambra State Governor and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, claiming he lacks the moral authority to speak on poverty in Nigeria.

The governor’s remarks followed Obi’s recent lecture at Johns Hopkins University, where Obi blamed Nigeria’s growing poverty on poor leadership and low investment in key sectors like education and healthcare, comparing the country’s situation unfavorably with China and Vietnam.

In a statement titled “Factually Addressing Mr. Peter Obi’s Criticism of Nigeria at Johns Hopkins University,” Sanwo-Olu accused Obi of “de-marketing” Nigeria on the global stage. He pointed out that during Obi’s tenure as Anambra State governor, the poverty rate allegedly rose from 41.4% in 2007 to 53.7% within two years. According to Sanwo-Olu, Obi’s successor, Willie Obiano, later reduced the figure to 14.8%.

Sanwo-Olu further criticized Obi for failing to establish new schools, build standalone hospitals, or create sustainable credit facilities during his eight years in office. In contrast, he praised President Bola Tinubu for constructing over 200 schools, providing student loans to more than 200,000 undergraduates, and disbursing over half a billion dollars to small and medium-sized enterprises.

The Lagos governor also stressed the need for patriotism among prominent Nigerians, urging them to project a positive image of the country abroad regardless of political differences.

“Given these facts, Mr. Obi is hardly in a position to lecture anyone about fighting poverty,” Sanwo-Olu concluded.

The exchange highlights the intensifying debate over leadership performance and strategies for addressing poverty in Nigeria.