Photo: Mr Peter Obi
By Mandy Park
The Peter Obi Media Office has dismissed claims that the former presidential candidate urged Nigerians living abroad to abandon their families in the country, describing the interpretation of his remarks as misleading.
The office said Obi’s comments to Nigerians in Europe had been taken out of context and edited in a manner that misrepresented the message he intended to convey.
In a statement issued on Monday and signed by the spokesman for the Peter Obi Media Office, Idris Zekeri Jnr, the office maintained that Obi never asked Nigerians in the diaspora to stop supporting their parents, siblings and other relatives in Nigeria.
It said the former Anambra State governor recognised the sacrifices Nigerians living abroad made to support their families, including paying school fees, covering medical bills, providing food and assisting relatives experiencing financial difficulties.
According to the statement, Obi’s central message was that Nigeria should be governed in a manner that enables citizens to meet their basic needs without depending excessively on financial assistance from relatives overseas.
“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.
The media office argued that a country endowed with abundant human and natural resources should provide its citizens with opportunities to secure decent jobs, access affordable healthcare, obtain quality education and enjoy a dignified standard of living.
It maintained that Nigerians should not have to depend on relatives abroad to meet basic needs that could be addressed through effective governance, economic growth and the creation of opportunities at home.
The statement added that Obi’s vision was to build a country where remittances from Nigerians in the diaspora would contribute more significantly to national development rather than serve as a lifeline for families struggling to survive.
The office said the distinction was between providing immediate relief to people facing hardship and addressing the underlying conditions responsible for their dependence on relatives abroad.
“He is not asking Nigerians abroad to stop supporting their families. Rather, he is advocating for a Nigeria in which their families will no longer need to depend on them in order to survive,” the statement added.
Nigeria has a large diaspora population whose financial contributions support households across the country. Such remittances help many families meet expenses related to education, healthcare, housing and other essential needs.
However, the media office argued that the country should work towards an economic environment in which citizens can earn sustainable incomes and provide for their families without relying on money sent from abroad.
It said Obi’s remarks should therefore be understood as a call for better governance and economic opportunities, rather than an appeal for Nigerians overseas to withdraw support from their loved ones.
The statement urged Nigerians to consider the broader context of the former presidential candidate’s comments instead of relying on edited video clips that, according to the office, could give a misleading impression of his position.
The media office reiterated its position that a Nigeria capable of providing economic security and social opportunities for its citizens would reduce the pressure on Nigerians abroad to shoulder the financial responsibilities of extended families back home.
It concluded with the slogan, “A New Nigeria is Possible and will be OK.”
