The Labour Party, New Nigeria Peoples Party and Social Democratic Party have criticised the Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over his call on Nigerians in the diaspora to stop sending money to relatives at home, arguing that the move could worsen hardship for vulnerable families without guaranteeing political change ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Obidient Movement, however, defended the former Anambra State governor, insisting that his message was not intended to make Nigerians abandon their families but to challenge a political system that leaves millions dependent on relatives abroad for basic survival.
The controversy followed Obi’s address at a town hall meeting with diaspora supporters in Manchester, United Kingdom, on Sunday, where he urged Nigerians abroad to reject requests for financial assistance from home and encourage their relatives to vote for productive leaders.
“You have people at home in Nigeria today who are begging you for money. Tell them no!” he said.
Obi argued that continuous financial support from abroad only cushioned the effects of bad governance without addressing the underlying causes of economic hardship.
But the National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Ken Asogwa, said the appeal could hurt ordinary Nigerians who depend on remittances to meet essential needs, including medical bills and other family expenses.
“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. Most diaspora remittances are meant to provide medical support and meet other pressing needs of family members back home. Asking Nigerians in the diaspora to shun such support is, therefore, an overkill.
“While we continue to urge the electorate to vote wisely, we must equally refrain from narratives that could trigger a national catastrophe. This admonition is not directed at Obi alone but at all the candidates in the forthcoming presidential election.
“The rhetoric emanating from the various camps needs to be toned down in the overriding interest of our country.”
Similarly, the NNPP National Chairman, Major Agbo, described Obi’s position as unpatriotic, arguing that political disagreements should not undermine Nigeria’s economic interests.
“Let me tell you, I believe that politics divides people. But once elections are won and the elected leaders are sworn in, the most important thing is Nigeria. Anybody who is speaking against Nigeria as an entity now is an enemy of Nigeria.
“So I don’t know why somebody who wants to be president of Nigeria would be making such a statement. That is unpatriotic. Which economy survives when money does not come from other countries into it? How does an economy survive?
“So please, I think that’s not the way to go. Again, that goes to confirm the agenda of Peter Obi and his deputy, Rabiu Kwankwaso, who came into NNPP to create problems and all of that. That’s the agenda. We know them. That is why we can never take them seriously.”
The Social Democratic Party also faulted the appeal, arguing that withholding remittances would not automatically translate into electoral victory for the opposition.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Rufus Aiyenigba, described Obi’s position as unpatriotic and illogical, saying Nigerians abroad would have to participate more directly in political mobilisation to influence the outcome of the 2027 presidential election.
Speaking with our correspondent in Abuja, Aiyenigba said, “The call is unpatriotic and illogical. Calling for a stop to diaspora remittances does not in any way have direct effect on who gets elected as president if a critical mass of the Nigerian compatriots do not come home to mobilise, campaign and push for their preferred candidates.”
Diaspora remittances provide financial support to millions of Nigerian households, helping families pay for food, education, healthcare and housing. They also contribute to foreign exchange inflows and economic activity.
The disagreement highlights competing views within the opposition over how Nigerians at home and abroad should respond to the Tinubu administration’s economic policies ahead of the 2027 elections, with critics warning that withholding money could hurt families while supporters of Obi’s position say financial assistance should not replace demands for political accountability.
Defending Obi, the Obidient Movement’s Director of Media and Communications, Onyeka Dike, said in a telephone interview that the former governor was asking Nigerians abroad to use their influence to demand better governance rather than continue cushioning the consequences of government failures.
“Peter Obi is a man of compassion who understands the sacrifices Nigerians in the diaspora make to keep their families afloat. His message is not a call to abandon loved ones. It is a call to confront the system that has made millions of Nigerians dependent on relatives abroad for basic survival.
“For too long, the Nigerian government has failed its people, leaving families to depend on remittances to pay school fees, buy food, access healthcare, and meet their most basic needs. Nigerians abroad work hard, sacrifice, and send money home because the government has failed to create a country where their loved ones can live with dignity.
“Peter Obi is challenging Nigerians in the diaspora to recognise that while sending money home may provide temporary relief, it cannot replace their civic responsibility to demand political change. Such support therefore must not become an escape route from confronting the government responsible for the suffering of the very people they are struggling to support.
“If anything, Mr Peter Obi has been the highest supporter of poor and impoverished Nigerians through his well-documented and anonymous financial donations to different people – from those in IDP camps to those who are not able to afford school fees as a result of Tinubu’s mass impoverishment policy. No Nigerian living or dead has supported Nigerians as much as Mr Peter Obi has done over the last couple of years. This is despite not holding any public office.
“Ironically, some of the loudest voices condemning Obi’s message belong to those defending, enabling, and benefiting from the same political system that has impoverished Nigerians. They want Nigerians abroad to keep sending money home quietly, cushioning the consequences of bad governance and shielding the APC from the anger its failures deserve.
“They understand what happens when people lose their escape routes. When families can no longer depend on relatives abroad to soften the blows of economic hardship, public anger may become impossible to contain. And they fear that anger being directed where it belongs: at the Tinubu-led APC government.
“The real question is this: Why should Nigerians have to depend on relatives abroad to survive in a country blessed with enormous human and natural resources?
“Peter Obi is not asking Nigerians to stop loving their families. He is asking them to love their country enough to demand a system that does not force those families to depend on charity to survive.
“The goal is not to stop Nigerians abroad from helping their loved ones. The goal is to build a Nigeria where their loved ones no longer need to beg for help to survive.
“That is the difference between managing poverty and ending it. That is the difference between sustaining a broken system and demanding a better country. Nigeria must be OK.”
Overseas trip delays campaign
The NDC has, however, postponed the inauguration of its National Campaign Council for the 2027 general elections due to the overseas engagement of its presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
The party announced the change in a statement issued on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, explaining that Obi’s tight schedule and important engagement abroad necessitated the postponement.
The inauguration was initially scheduled for Tuesday, October 20, alongside a meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee, where key decisions concerning the 2027 elections were expected to be ratified.
Director said the new date for the unveiling and inauguration has been fixed for Monday, October 26.
“The shift is occasioned by the very tight schedule of our Presidential Candidate, His Excellency, Mr Peter Obi, who has a very important engagement overseas,” the statement said.
The party apologised for any inconvenience caused by the change of date and urged its members and supporters to remain focused on securing victory for Obi and other NDC candidates in the forthcoming elections.
The postponement comes as political parties intensify preparations for the 2027 general elections, with the NDC seeking to consolidate its structures and counter allegations of internal divisions and inadequate preparation.
Earlier on Saturday, the party’s National Chairman, Moses Cleopas, had announced the planned inauguration, insisting that the opposition party was prepared for the electoral contest and that its leadership remained committed to the Obi-Kwankwaso presidential ticket.
Cleopas had said the October 20 NEC meeting would also provide an opportunity to inaugurate the campaign council, ratify key decisions relating to the elections, present Certificates of Return to the party’s candidates and hold a dinner to strengthen cooperation among them.
He also dismissed claims that the party was inactive or divided, describing such allegations as propaganda by opponents.
According to him, the party’s National Working Committee had held several meetings since August and submitted proposals on the composition of the campaign council for consideration by the leadership.