Obi Didn’t Tell Diaspora To Abandon Families In Nigeria – Obi Media Office

The Peter Obi Media Office has said the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Peter Obi, did not urge Nigerians in the diaspora to abandon their families in Nigeria.

In a statement on Sunday by its spokesman, Idris Zekeri Jnr, the Media Office said there has been a misleading interpretation attached to Obi’s remarks to Nigerians in Europe.

Obi was quoted as advising Nigerians in the United Kingdom to stop sending money to people who seek financial help at home.

He also advised them to urge their relatives to vote for productive leaders.

He made the remarks at a town hall meeting with diaspora supporters in Manchester, United Kingdom, on Sunday.

He stressed that Nigeria’s prevailing economic hardship resulted from bad leadership, arguing that continuous financial assistance only cushions the effects of poor governance without addressing the root causes.

“You have people at home in Nigeria today who are begging you for money. Tell them no!” he said.

Reacting, however, Obi’s media team said, “Those sharing the video removed the broader context of his statement and edited it to support their agenda.”

According to the statement, 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. He recognises the daily sacrifices made by Nigerians in the diaspora to pay school fees, cover medical expenses, provide food for their families, and assist relatives facing difficult circumstances,” it said.

The Media Office explained that the central point of Obi’s message is that Nigeria must function effectively once again.

“A nation with such abundant human and natural resources should not force millions of its citizens to rely on relatives overseas for necessities.

Nigerians should have access to decent employment, affordable healthcare, quality education for their children, and a dignified standard of living without having to make constant appeals to family members abroad,” the statement added.

It said Obi’s vision is to create a Nigeria that works for all — a country in which remittances from the diaspora support national development instead of being essential to families’ survival.

“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.

“This is the distinction between alleviating poverty’s symptoms and confronting its underlying causes. A New Nigeria is Possible and will be OK,” the statement said.