Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Sunday criticized former Anambra State Governor and Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, accusing him of lacking the moral authority to speak on poverty in Nigeria.
In a personally signed statement titled “Factually Addressing Mr. Peter Obi’s Criticism of Nigeria at Johns Hopkins University,” Sanwo-Olu faulted Obi for comments he made during a recent speech at the U.S.-based institution, where Obi compared Nigeria unfavorably with China and Vietnam on poverty reduction.
Obi, during his remarks, had argued that in 1990, Nigeria had fewer people living in poverty than China and Vietnam, but that both countries had since made significant strides through competent and compassionate leadership, while Nigeria lagged behind. He attributed the difference to leadership failures, emphasizing the need for investment in education, health, and poverty alleviation.
Reacting, Sanwo-Olu accused Obi of “de-marketing” Nigeria on the international stage, describing his comments as disparaging and unpatriotic.
“Prominent Nigerians who travel abroad have a responsibility to project a positive image of Nigeria,” Sanwo-Olu said. “They do not have to do so for the government, but for the country. True patriotism demands it.”
Focusing on Obi’s criticism of government policies on poverty, Sanwo-Olu challenged Obi’s record as governor of Anambra State, claiming that poverty worsened during his tenure. According to the Lagos governor, Obi failed to build schools or hospitals and did not sustainably provide credit facilities while in office.
“In contrast, President Bola Tinubu, both as former Lagos governor and now as President, has demonstrated commitment to education and economic empowerment,” Sanwo-Olu stated. “He built over 200 schools, provided student loans to more than 200,000 undergraduates, and disbursed over half a billion dollars in credit to small and medium enterprises within two years.”
Sanwo-Olu further claimed that during Tinubu’s tenure as Lagos governor between 1999 and 2007, the state’s poverty rate dropped by over 46 percent — a record he said offered hope for similar results at the federal level.
Challenging Obi’s legacy, Sanwo-Olu cited data suggesting that poverty in Anambra rose from 41.4 percent to 53.7 percent during Obi’s administration. He contrasted this with the achievements of Obi’s successor, Willie Obiano, who he said later reduced the state’s poverty rate to 14.8 percent.
“Given this record, it is questionable whether Mr. Obi has the moral standing to criticize Nigeria’s current efforts at poverty reduction,” Sanwo-Olu asserted. “Rather than lifting people out of poverty, Obi’s tenure contributed to deepening it.”
The Lagos State governor concluded by suggesting that Obi’s criticisms were not only misplaced but also undermined efforts to improve Nigeria’s global image.
Nzubechukwu Eze.
