Sanwo-Olu Accuses Peter Obi of Lacking Moral Authority to Criticize Nigeria’s Poverty

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has strongly criticized Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, accusing him of lacking the moral right to address poverty issues in Nigeria.

In a statement titled “Factually Addressing Mr. Peter Obi’s Criticism of Nigeria at Johns Hopkins University,” Sanwo-Olu responded to Obi’s remarks during a lecture at Johns Hopkins University. Obi had compared Nigeria’s poverty levels to those of China and Vietnam, blaming leadership failures for Nigeria’s economic decline.

Sanwo-Olu condemned Obi’s comments as unpatriotic and claimed that Obi’s tenure as governor of Anambra worsened poverty in the state. He cited official statistics, pointing out that Anambra’s poverty rate increased from 41.4% to 53.7% during Obi’s administration. According to Sanwo-Olu, the situation only improved after Obi left office, with significant progress under his successor, Willie Obiano.

Sanwo-Olu also highlighted the accomplishments of President Bola Tinubu, both during his time as Lagos governor and now as Nigeria’s president, focusing on achievements in education, healthcare, and access to credit. He argued that true patriotism involves positively promoting Nigeria abroad, accusing Obi of “de-marketing” the country for political advantage.