By James Adamu
Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has denied asking Nigerians in the diaspora to stop supporting their loved ones back home, insisting that his message at a town hall meeting in the United Kingdom was distorted by political opponents.
In a statement posted on his verified X handle on Tuesday, Obi said his media office had already issued a clarification, but he found it necessary to add his voice “to address the distortion of my message by political opponents.”
“I deeply appreciate Nigerians in the diaspora who work tirelessly and make enormous sacrifices to support their families back home. Their remittances pay for school fees, hospital bills, rent, and feeding expenses. Their patriotism and sacrifices deserve our profound respect,” Obi said.
“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.”
The controversy began on Sunday when Obi, speaking at a town hall meeting with diaspora supporters in Manchester, urged Nigerians abroad to reject financial demands from relatives at home.
“You have people at home in Nigeria today who are begging you for money. Tell them no!” Obi said, according to reports from the meeting.
He argued that continuous financial support from abroad only cushioned the effects of bad governance without addressing the underlying causes of economic hardship.
The remarks were interpreted by critics as a call for Nigerians abroad to withdraw financial support from their families, triggering a wave of backlash from opposition parties and social media commentators.
The Labour Party, New Nigeria Peoples Party, and Social Democratic Party all criticised Obi’s original remarks, arguing that discouraging diaspora remittances could worsen hardship for vulnerable families.
Labour Party National Publicity Secretary Ken Asogwa said the appeal could hurt ordinary Nigerians who depend on remittances for medical bills and other essential needs.
“I can understand the desperation that must have informed such a statement by Obi. However, it is akin to cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face,” Asogwa said.
NNPP National Chairman Major Agbo described Obi’s position as unpatriotic, asking: “Which economy survives when money does not come from other countries into it?”
Social Democratic Party National Publicity Secretary Rufus Aiyenigba called the call “unpatriotic and illogical,” arguing that withholding remittances would not automatically translate into electoral victory for the opposition.
Before Obi’s personal statement, his media office had issued a statement on Monday night, signed by spokesman Idris Zekeri Jnr, alleging that portions of the video from the Manchester meeting had been edited and stripped of context.
The office said Obi “neither intended to discourage support for family members nor questioned the sacrifices Nigerians in the diaspora make for their loved ones.”
“Peter Obi’s remarks were never intended to encourage Nigerians abroad to abandon their parents, siblings, or other loved ones in Nigeria. Nothing could be further from the truth,” the statement said.
In his personal statement on Tuesday, Obi sought to reframe the debate around governance and economic opportunity.
“Our goal must be to build a nation that provides jobs, affordable healthcare, quality education, and economic opportunities for its citizens,” he said.
“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 concluded: “God bless Nigerians at home and abroad. God bless Nigeria.”
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