Politics

Why Sanwo-Olu is Angry with Peter Obi •What Peter Obi Says At Johns Hopkins University

I also find Mr. Obi’s pattern of behaviour disturbing. When prominent Nigerians go overseas, they ought to project Nigeria positively.

Published

1 year ago

April 28, 2025

OhiBaba

709 Views

Lagos State Governor , Babajide Sanwo-Olu has lashed out at Mr Peter Obi, of the Labour Party, regarding his recent comments on Nigeria under President Bola Tinubu.

Sanwo-Olu reacted on his X, titled ‘Factually Addressing Mr. Peter Obi’s Criticism of Nigeria at Johns Hopkins University,’ urges Mr Obi to bridle his tongue by not speaking injuriously about his country and the current leadership under President Tinubu.

The statement reads:

“On Thursday, April 24, 2025, former Governor Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate for the 2023 election, was at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, where he made several disparaging comments about Nigeria.

He made the unflattering remarks not just about the incumbent Nigerian government, but also about Nigeria.

I also find Mr. Obi’s pattern of behaviour disturbing. When prominent Nigerians go overseas, they ought to project Nigeria positively.

They do not have to do that for the government. But we all owe a duty to market Nigeria on the global stage rather than de-market her.

On Thursday, April 24, 2025, former Governor Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate for the 2023 election, was at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, where he made several disparaging comments about Nigeria.

That is what true patriotism is about. Because Mr. Obi focused on poverty and said that the current administration’s policies are making Nigerians poorer, I will concentrate on that.

Any leader can fight poverty generationally by promoting education, improving healthcare, providing credit, and granting access to land.

Now, I find it somewhat ironic that a man like Mr. Obi, who did not build a single school or a stand alone hospital throughout his eight-year tenure as Governor of Anambra or sustainably provide credit facilities, would criticise the Government of Nigeria, which is actively doing that.

I say this because the President of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is my predecessor, and as Governor of Lagos and now President of Nigeria, has built over 200 schools and provided student loans to more than 200,000 undergraduates of Nigerian tertiary institutions.

In less than two years, he has provided over half a billion dollars in credit facilities to small and medium-scale enterprises. While he was Governor of Lagos State between 1999 and 2007, the President reduced poverty by more than 46%.

There is every reason to believe that, based on what he did as Governor of Lagos, he will repeat the same feat at the federal level. After all, the best predictor of the future is the past.

But let us examine the messenger, not just the message, and look at the issuer as well as the issues. Mr. Obi talks a good game. But was he able to reduce poverty while he governed Anambra?

Perhaps we can let the facts speak for themselves. Under Peter Obi as a two term Anambra Governor, poverty in Anambra increased.

It did not reduce. Before Peter Obi became Anambra Governor on Thursday, June 14, 2007, the poverty rate in Anambra was 41.4%.

But after only two years in office, the poverty rate in Anambra jumped to 53.7%.

But the interesting thing is that five years after Peter Obi left office, his successor, Willie Obiano, reduced the poverty rate in Anambra from almost 60% to 14.8%.

As such, I am not sure that Mr. Obi is morally well placed to make the alarming claims he made about Nigeria at Johns Hopkins.

Mr. Obi contributed to the increase in poverty in Nigeria. Governor Tinubu, as he then was, was responsible for lifting millions out of poverty.

Being that that is the case, who should criticise who?”

WHAT PETER OBI SAID AT JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY

At Johns Hopkins University, USA, Peter Obi was invited to speak on “Politics and Change in Nigeria” from Professor Peter Lewis, the famous author of “Growing Apart: comparing Indonesia and Nigeria”.

Peter Obi commented on his X: In discussing this very critical issue, which directly impacts the direction of a nation, I pointed out that the failure of a nation depends largely on its Political Leadership. Competent, capable and compassionate political leadership, with integrity, will help nations to achieve sustainable growth and development.

In my speech, I tried to assess 3 of our comparable nations – China, Vietnam and Indonesia, from 1990 till date.
In 1990, the year the measurement of the Human Development Index (HDI) was started, these 3 comparable nations, including Nigeria, were all classified under the medium category of the HDI measurement. 35 years later, 3 of these nations have moved up to the High category of HDI while Nigeria has fallen into the low category.

Within the same period of 35 years, from 1990 to 2025, the GDP Per Capita of these comparable nations have all improved. As of 1990, while Nigeria had a GDP per capita of $556, China had $317, Indonesia had $578, and Vietnam had only $99.

Nigeria, obviously, had higher GDP per capita than China, while Vietnam had less than one-fifth of Nigeria’s per capita.

Today, Nigeria’s per capita is about one-fifth of Indonesia’s ($5000) and Vietnam’s (4400) GDP per capita and below one-tenth of China’s (1300) GDP per capita.

In the area of poverty, Nigeria with about 50 million poor people, had the least number of people in poverty in 1990 than any of the three countries.

While China had about 750 million people living in poverty, Indonesia and Vietnam had 85 million and 60 million poor people, respectively.

China alone had about 15 times the number of poor people than Nigeria.

Today, however, Nigeria has more poor people than these 3 countries combined.

The question then is, what exactly did these countries do to be able to achieve the desired growth and development?

That is where political leadership comes in. These comparable nations, and indeed other progressive nations, unlike Nigeria, have competent leadership with character, capacity and compassion, committed to prioritizing investment in critical areas of developmental measures; Education, Health, and pulling people out of poverty.

A New Nigeria is POssible. -PO ”

Up Next

Peter Obi can win 2027 election without coalition, says NLC

Don't Miss

Atiku: “I bear no grudges against PDP Members’ Defectors to APC “

Click to comment

Politics

Hamzat Unveils future plans for Lagos, after inauguration on May 29, next year

” Therefore, to firmly establish Lagos as Africa’s undisputed commercial capital, I will, upon election, focus my energies on four main areas over the next four years.”

Published

11 hours ago

May 25, 2026

OCHEFA

16 Views

Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, deputy governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Lagos State, has revealed his agenda for the state, after winning the poll next year.

The deputy governor said: “My manifesto is ready. A roadmap that draws heavily on my party’s manifesto, it offers Lagos specific interventions for the next four years. It is a product of broad consultations with all stakeholders.

“Therefore, to firmly establish Lagos as Africa’s undisputed commercial capital, I will, upon election, focus my energies on four main areas over the next four years.”

He said: First, service delivery: freeing up more money for services and maintaining the biggest infrastructure investment programme in West Africa, with continuing focus on rail, roads and water transportation to link our suburbs and decongest our streets.

“Second, job creation: policies to fast track the creation of jobs for our youths and support for our brightest entrepreneurs and industrializing our state.

“Third, knowledge and skills: Enhancing our school and teaching for our young minds such that we build a workforce and an economy that will enable Lagos to compete in an increasingly competitive international marketplace.

“Fourth, health and well-being: ensuring that our people have access to basic health services, water and can live in a safe environment, reassured by a security system that works.”

Politics

Atiku, Amaechi,Hayatu-Deen contest ADC Presidential ticket today

The leadership of the party opted for the direct primary method after all three aspirants — former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, and former banker Mohammed Hayatu-Deen — reportedly declined calls to step down for a consensus candidate.

Published

12 hours ago

May 25, 2026

OCHEFA

24 Views

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) party will today commence the process of selecting its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election, with party members across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory expected to participate in the exercise.

Below is a vignette of the contenders:

Atiku Abubakar

A former Vice President and one of Nigeria’s most prominent opposition figures, Atiku Abubakar enters the race with decades of political experience and an expansive national network cultivated over years in public service.

Since leaving the Peoples Democratic Party in November 2025, Atiku has played a leading role in efforts to unite opposition forces under the ADC platform ahead of the 2027 elections.

Working alongside former Senate President David Mark and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola — now serving as the party’s National Chairman and National Secretary respectively — Atiku has championed the formation of a broad coalition aimed at challenging President Bola Tinubu in 2027.

Key political figures reportedly aligned with his camp include former Attorney General of the Federation Abubakar Malami, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, ex-Minister of Sports Bolaji Abdullahi, and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal.

Political analysts say Atiku’s financial muscle, name recognition, and nationwide political structure could give him a significant edge in the contest.

Rotimi Amaechi

Former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi is also regarded as a strong contender in today’s exercise.

Amaechi, who served as Minister of Transportation under former President Muhammadu Buhari, gained national recognition for the railway projects executed during his tenure.

A founding member of the All Progressives Congress, he was widely viewed in the final years of the Buhari administration as one of the influential figures within the ruling party.

Now contesting under the ADC platform, Amaechi is presenting himself as a credible alternative capable of restoring public confidence in governance.

Mohammed Hayatu-Deen

For Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, the contest offers an opportunity to present himself as a technocrat with the expertise to tackle Nigeria’s economic and governance challenges.

The former Chief Executive Officer of FSB International Bank Plc has centred his campaign on economic revival, youth employment, and institutional reforms — issues he says are critical to addressing the country’s deepening hardship and insecurity.

Last week, Hayatu-Deen criticised his rivals, urging party members to reject what he described as “recycled politics.”

The 72-year-old economist has repeatedly argued that Nigeria needs leadership anchored on competence, discipline, and people-focused policies.While his policy-driven approach has earned commendation in some quarters, observers note that he still faces challenges in terms of national political visibility when compared with Atiku and Amaechi.

Politics

Tinubu Polls 10.99 Million Votes to Clinch APC Presidential Ticket

Published

1 day ago

May 24, 2026

Charles Flames

31 Views

Former Lagos State Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu has emerged as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) after securing a landslide victory at the party’s national convention, polling a total of 10.99 million votes.

The primary election, held at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja, saw Tinubu overwhelmingly defeat his closest rivals in a keenly contested race.

According to results announced by the APC leadership, Tinubu garnered 10,990,000 votes, representing a dominant performance that effectively clinched the party’s ticket for the 2023 presidential election.

Party officials described the process as free, fair, and transparent, with high delegate turnout across the country. Tinubu’s victory consolidates his position as one of Nigeria’s most influential political figures, leveraging strong support from key party structures, particularly in the Southwest and among progressive blocs within the APC.

In his acceptance speech, Tinubu expressed gratitude to party delegates and leaders, promising to build on the achievements of the current administration and lead the APC to victory in the general elections.

The emergence of Tinubu as the flagbearer sets the stage for what is expected to be a highly competitive 2023 presidential race, with major opposition parties already fielding their own candidates.

This result further cements Tinubu’s long-standing influence within the APC since its formation and positions him as the ruling party’s choice to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari.