Sanwo-Olu Slams Peter Obi for 'Demarketing Nigeria' Abroad, Reveals Hidden Truths

The political rivalry between key Nigerian leaders has once again been ignited as Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, launched a scathing attack on former Anambra State Governor and Labour Party's 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

Sanwo-Olu's outburst followed remarks made by Obi during a lecture at Johns Hopkins University, United States, where Obi painted a bleak picture of Nigeria's economic collapse over the past 25 years, blaming poor leadership for the escalating poverty rate.

Citing the Human Development Index (HDI), Obi claimed that Nigeria, once better positioned than countries like China, Vietnam, and Indonesia, now has more people living in poverty than the three nations combined. According to Obi, while China had over 750 million poor people in 1990 compared to Nigeria's 50 million, Nigeria today surpasses them all in poverty numbers.

However, Sanwo-Olu, in a statement titled, "Factually Addressing Mr. Peter Obi's Criticism of Nigeria at Johns Hopkins University," accused Obi of "demarketingÔÇØ Nigeria on an international stage, labeling his behavior "disturbingÔÇØ and "unpatriotic.ÔÇØ

The Lagos governor emphasized that while criticism of government policies is acceptable, national figures like Obi owe a duty to project Nigeria positively before global audiences. "They do not have to defend the government, but they must never demarket Nigeria. That is what true patriotism demands," Sanwo-Olu stated.

Going further, Sanwo-Olu dismantled Obi's moral standing to comment on poverty, highlighting what he termed Obi's failure to develop Anambra State. He pointed out that during Obi's eight-year tenure as governor, he allegedly failed to build a single school or a standalone hospital, nor did he introduce sustainable credit facilities to support economic growth.

"It is ironic that Peter Obi, who failed to construct even one school or hospital in Anambra, now criticizes a federal government actively working to tackle poverty through education, healthcare, and credit support,ÔÇØ Sanwo-Olu noted.

Sanwo-Olu compared Obi's record to that of President Bola Tinubu, citing Tinubu's achievements as Lagos State Governor and President. According to him, Tinubu has built over 200 schools, provided loans to over 200,000 undergraduates, and injected more than half a billion dollars into small and medium-scale businesses within less than two years.

Taking a swipe at Obi's tenure, Sanwo-Olu revealed that poverty actually worsened in Anambra under Obi's watch. "Before Peter Obi assumed office in 2007, Anambra's poverty rate stood at 41.4%. After just two years under his leadership, the rate skyrocketed to 53.7%. Yet, after his exit, his successor, Willie Obiano, reduced the poverty rate dramatically to 14.8%,ÔÇØ Sanwo-Olu alleged.

In a strong conclusion, Sanwo-Olu questioned Obi's credibility, stating that anyone who presided over worsening poverty rates in their own state should not present themselves as a moral authority on Nigeria's national issues.

This fiery exchange between Sanwo-Olu and Obi has once again highlighted the deep political divisions shaping Nigeria's future, with many observers eagerly watching how Obi might respond to these damning accusations.