Peter Obi Fires Back at Critics: ‘Telling the Truth About Nigeria Is Not Demarketing’
Former Governor of Anambra State and Labour Party (LP) presidential flagbearer in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, has pushed back against accusations that he is painting Nigeria in a negative light on the global stage, insisting that acknowledging the country’s challenges is not the same as undermining it.
Speaking on Wednesday at the memorial lecture held in honour of elder statesman Edwin Clark, leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Obi defended his recent comments about Nigeria’s economic struggles, which some critics say portray the country poorly to international audiences.
“I spoke a few days ago and some people said I am demarketing Nigeria,” Obi said. “But the World Bank has just shown that 75% of Nigerians in rural areas are poor. Is the World Bank demarketing Nigeria? UNICEF announced that Nigeria now has over 2 million malnourished children — the second highest in the world. Are they demarketing Nigeria too?”
His remarks come in response to backlash from prominent figures such as Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Lagos State governor, who described Obi’s commentary as a “disturbing pattern of behaviour” that allegedly damages Nigeria’s global reputation. Sanwo-Olu also questioned Obi’s credibility, citing his performance as Anambra governor as insufficient to warrant criticism of the current administration.
Segun Sowunmi, a PDP chieftain, echoed similar sentiments, describing Obi’s analysis as “extremely skewed.”
However, Obi remained unfazed, arguing that his statements are grounded in verified data from reputable global institutions, not political rhetoric. He emphasised that ignoring the truth about Nigeria’s economic and governance issues would only hinder the nation’s progress.
“The sacrifices of our past leaders have been in vain,” he lamented. “We’ve abandoned the very principles of democracy and embraced poor governance.”
