‘I said the truth, not demarketing Nigeria’ – Obi replies Sanwo-Olu, other critics
Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has responded to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s accusation that he is “demarketing” Nigeria abroad.
Sanwo-Olu had criticized Obi over his recent remarks at Johns Hopkins University, where Obi spoke about Nigeria’s rising poverty, insecurity, and poor governance. The governor argued that Obi’s comments painted Nigeria in a negative light and questioned his moral authority, pointing to increased poverty rates during Obi’s tenure as Anambra State governor.
In response, Obi, while speaking at the memorial service of elder statesman Edwin Clark, countered the allegations with data. Without directly naming Sanwo-Olu, he defended his statements, saying:
“People say I am demarketing Nigeria. When is truth being demarketed?”
He referenced a World Bank report showing that 75% of rural Nigerians live in poverty and a UNICEF report ranking Nigeria second globally for child malnutrition, with over 2 million affected children.
“Are they demarketing Nigeria?” he asked, emphasizing that sharing verified data about the country’s challenges should not be misconstrued as unpatriotic.
