The Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, has defended his recent comments on Nigeria’s economic situation, saying he is not demarketing the country but merely speaking the truth. Obi was reacting to criticism from Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who described his remarks during a talk at Johns Hopkins University in the United States as unpatriotic.
Speaking at a memorial lecture in Abuja for the late Ijaw leader, Edwin Clark, Obi challenged those who accused him of negative commentary. He referenced recent reports by the World Bank and UNICEF that show Nigeria has one of the highest rates of rural poverty and child malnutrition globally, asking whether those organisations were also “demarketing” the country.
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Governor Sanwo-Olu had said prominent Nigerians have a duty to project the country positively on the global stage, accusing Obi of making disparaging statements that could hurt Nigeria’s image. But Obi maintained that confronting the truth is necessary for national progress and leadership accountability.
He also criticised the lack of public outrage over current economic conditions, comparing it to the protests during former President Goodluck Jonathan’s tenure. Obi questioned the silence of those who demonstrated against lower fuel prices and exchange rates under Jonathan, noting that the country’s economic situation is now significantly worse.
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