Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has criticized Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, accusing him of lacking the moral authority to comment on Nigeria’s poverty challenges.
In a personally signed statement titled “Factually Addressing Mr. Peter Obi’s Criticism of Nigeria at Johns Hopkins University,” Sanwo-Olu faulted Obi’s remarks at a recent lecture delivered at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, where Obi compared Nigeria’s poverty rate to those of China and Vietnam, lamenting Nigeria’s developmental setbacks.
Sanwo-Olu argued that Obi, as a former governor of Anambra State, presided over a period marked by an increase in poverty in his state, stating that poverty rates rose significantly under his administration.
The Lagos governor stated:
“It is ironic that Mr. Obi, who did not build a single school or independent hospital in eight years as governor, would criticise a government actively investing in education, healthcare, and economic empowerment.”
He added that unlike Obi, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu — a former Lagos State governor — demonstrated tangible results, citing the establishment of over 200 schools, student loan programs benefiting over 200,000 undergraduates, and credit facilities exceeding half a billion dollars for small and medium enterprises.
Highlighting statistics, Sanwo-Olu claimed that Anambra’s poverty rate increased from 41.4% to 53.7% during Obi’s tenure, contrasting it with Tinubu’s record of significantly reducing poverty in Lagos between 1999 and 2007.
The Lagos governor further expressed concern over Obi’s conduct abroad, stating:
“Prominent Nigerians traveling overseas should project Nigeria positively, irrespective of the political climate. We owe a duty to build Nigeria’s image, not diminish it.”
Sanwo-Olu concluded by urging Nigerians to judge political leaders not merely by their rhetoric but by their tangible achievements, emphasizing that Tinubu’s track record predicts his potential at the national level.
