In a rare and pointed intervention, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has slammed Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, accusing him of lacking the moral right to criticize poverty under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
In a personally signed statement titled “Factually Addressing Mr. Peter Obi’s Criticism of Nigeria at Johns Hopkins University,” Sanwo-Olu condemned Obi’s recent comments made during a lecture at Johns Hopkins University. There, Obi had compared Nigeria unfavorably with China and Vietnam regarding poverty reduction, blaming poor leadership for Nigeria’s economic challenges.
Obi had pointed out that in 1990, Nigeria had fewer people living in poverty than China or Vietnam, but decades later, Nigeria lags behind due to failed leadership. He emphasized that other nations achieved progress by investing in education, healthcare, and social welfare—areas he said Nigerian leaders have neglected.
Responding, Sanwo-Olu accused Obi of “denigrating” Nigeria on the international stage, arguing that patriotic Nigerians should promote the country’s image abroad, regardless of political disagreements.
“It is disappointing that Mr. Obi, who failed to leave behind a legacy of education, healthcare, or economic empowerment as governor of Anambra State, now feels entitled to criticize a nation he helped impoverish,” Sanwo-Olu said.
The Lagos governor highlighted that during Obi’s tenure (2007–2014), poverty in Anambra State worsened. Citing statistics, he claimed the poverty rate rose from 41.4% to 53.7% under Obi’s watch. In contrast, Sanwo-Olu praised President Bola Tinubu’s record, both as former Lagos governor and now as president, for implementing initiatives like student loan programs and providing significant credit facilities to small businesses.
Sanwo-Olu also noted that Tinubu had successfully reduced poverty in Lagos by over 46% during his governorship, suggesting similar outcomes at the federal level under his leadership.
Questioning Obi’s credibility, Sanwo-Olu concluded:
“The facts speak for themselves. Mr. Obi contributed to the poverty he now decries, while President Tinubu has a proven record of lifting millions out of it. Who, then, is better placed to speak on poverty?”
