Sanwo-Olu Slams Peter Obi: “You Contributed to Nigeria’s Poverty”
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has fired back at former Anambra State Governor and Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, accusing him of hypocrisy and a role in Nigeria’s poverty challenges.
In a personally signed statement titled “Factually Addressing Mr. Peter Obi’s Criticism of Nigeria at Johns Hopkins University,” Sanwo-Olu criticised Obi’s recent remarks at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, where Obi compared Nigeria’s poverty trajectory unfavorably to that of China and Vietnam.
Obi had said that unlike China and Vietnam, Nigeria failed to achieve significant development due to the absence of committed, competent leadership investing in education, healthcare, and poverty alleviation.
Describing Obi’s comments as “disparaging” and “hypocritical,” Sanwo-Olu argued that prominent Nigerians have a duty to project the country positively on the global stage, regardless of their political affiliations.
“They do not have to do that for the government. But we all owe a duty to market Nigeria on the global stage rather than de-market her. That is what true patriotism is about,” Sanwo-Olu said.
Defending President Bola Tinubu’s leadership record, Sanwo-Olu highlighted Tinubu’s initiatives both as Lagos governor and now as president, including extensive investments in education, student loans, and credit facilities for small businesses.
“In less than two years, he has provided over half a billion dollars in credit facilities to small and medium-scale enterprises,” he said.
Turning to Obi’s own record, Sanwo-Olu claimed that poverty worsened in Anambra State during Obi’s tenure as governor. He cited data indicating that the poverty rate in Anambra rose from 41.4% before Obi took office to 53.7% two years into his administration, noting that it only dropped to 14.8% under his successor, Willie Obiano.
“As such, I am not sure that Mr. Obi is morally well placed to make the alarming claims he made about Nigeria at Johns Hopkins. Mr. Obi contributed to the increase in poverty in Nigeria,” Sanwo-Olu asserted.
Concluding his statement, Sanwo-Olu said, “Peter Obi talks a good game, but his track record tells a different story. Being that that is the case, who should criticise who?”
