Sanwo-Olu Claps Back at Peter Obi: "You Have No Moral Right to Talk About Poverty"

 

The political atmosphere heated up again over the weekend as Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, sharply criticized Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, accusing him of lacking the moral authority to lecture Nigerians about poverty.

In a personally signed statement titled “Factually Addressing Mr. Peter Obi’s Criticism of Nigeria at Johns Hopkins University,” Sanwo-Olu didn’t mince words. He blasted Obi for "de-marketing" Nigeria on a global platform and blamed him for worsening poverty rates during his time as governor of Anambra State.

Recall that Obi, during a speech at Johns Hopkins University last week, painted a grim picture of Nigeria’s poverty level, comparing it unfavorably to China and Vietnam. He emphasized that while these nations had drastically reduced poverty since the 1990s, Nigeria had sadly regressed a situation he pinned on poor leadership and misplaced priorities.

According to Obi:

"Unlike Nigeria, other progressive nations have competent leadership with character, capacity, and compassion, committed to pulling people out of poverty through investments in education, healthcare, and development."

But Sanwo-Olu was not having it.

In his fiery response, the governor argued that if there’s anyone who contributed to Nigeria’s poverty problem, it’s Peter Obi himself. Citing statistics, he pointed out that Anambra’s poverty rate rose from 41.4% to 53.7% under Obi’s two-term leadership.

Ironically, Sanwo-Olu noted, Obi’s successor Willie Obiano managed to slash the poverty rate down to 14.8%, a feat Obi himself couldn’t achieve.

Taking things further, Sanwo-Olu praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing him as a leader who "lifts millions out of poverty," both as former Lagos governor and now as Nigeria’s president. He pointed out that Tinubu’s administration has built over 200 schools, provided student loans to over 200,000 students, and injected over half a billion dollars into small and medium-sized enterprises clear actions Obi allegedly failed to prioritize during his tenure.

In a closing jab, Sanwo-Olu questioned Obi’s patriotism, criticizing his tendency to highlight Nigeria’s flaws to an international audience instead of promoting the country’s image.

"When prominent Nigerians go abroad, they owe it to their homeland to project positivity not to tear it down. That is what true patriotism demands," he stated.