Obi, Presidency trade words over Diaspora remittances, economic hardship

The Presidency has rejected former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi’s explanation of his controversial remarks urging Nigerians in the United Kingdom to reject financial requests from people back home, insisting that his comments were neither misunderstood nor misrepresented.

Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, described Obi’s remarks at a town hall meeting in Manchester as callous, dismissing the former Anambra State governor’s subsequent clarification.

“Mr Peter Obi, you failed to clarify your Manchester callous statement. Nobody twisted your statement. Thank you for affirming it again,” Onanuga wrote in a post on X.

The presidential spokesman was reacting to Obi’s personal statement addressing the controversy surrounding his comments at a meeting with supporters in Manchester on Sunday, October 18.

Speaking at the gathering, Obi had urged Nigerians living abroad to turn down requests for money from relatives and others in Nigeria, arguing that such appeals should instead prompt conversations about leadership accountability and the country’s economic challenges.

“You have people at home in Nigeria today who are begging you for money. Tell them no!” Obi told the gathering.

The remarks generated criticism, prompting his media office to issue a clarification denying that he had encouraged Nigerians in the diaspora to abandon their families.

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Obi subsequently released a statement titled “My Message Has Been Twisted”, accusing political opponents of deliberately misrepresenting the substance of his message.

“Even though my media office has issued a responsible clarification on the situation, I still find it necessary to add my voice to address the distortion of my message by political opponents,” he said.

The former governor acknowledged the contributions of Nigerians abroad to the welfare of their families, noting that remittances help millions of households meet essential expenses, including school fees, medical bills and rent.

He insisted that his comments were not intended to discourage family support but to highlight the economic conditions forcing Nigerians to depend on relatives overseas for survival.

“I never asked them to abandon their loved ones. My concern is that Nigeria should not remain a country where millions depend on relatives abroad for basic survival,” Obi explained.

He argued that Nigeria should develop an economy capable of providing jobs, affordable healthcare, quality education and opportunities for citizens to live independently without relying on financial assistance from abroad.

“Political opponents may twist my message, but the truth remains clear: I am not asking Nigerians abroad to abandon their families. I am advocating for a Nigeria that will no longer abandon its own people,” he added.

However, Onanuga maintained that the explanation did not adequately address the substance of Obi’s original remarks, deepening the public disagreement over the interpretation and implications of the comments.

The controversy comes amid growing political activity ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with Obi and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) continuing to feature prominently in national political discourse.

The exchange has also renewed debate over the relationship between Nigeria’s economic difficulties, the burden of supporting extended families and the responsibility of political leaders to create conditions that reduce dependence on diaspora remittances.