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The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has denied asking Nigerians living in the United Kingdom to stop providing financial assistance to relatives in Nigeria, saying his comments on the country’s economic hardship were misrepresented by political opponents.
Obi said he appreciated Nigerians in the diaspora who made sacrifices to support their families back home, noting that their financial contributions helped millions of people meet essential needs, including school fees, medical bills, rent and feeding expenses.
The former Anambra State governor clarified his position in a statement titled “My Message Has Been Twisted”, posted on X on Tuesday.
He said his message was not intended to discourage Nigerians abroad from supporting their loved ones but to draw attention to the economic conditions forcing many households to depend on relatives outside the country for survival.
“I deeply appreciate Nigerians in the diaspora who work tirelessly and make enormous sacrifices to support their families back home,” he said.
“Their remittances pay for school fees, hospital bills, rent, and feeding expenses. Their patriotism and sacrifices deserve our profound respect. I never asked them to abandon their loved ones.”
Obi explains concern over dependence on remittances
Obi said his concern was that Nigeria should not remain a country where millions of citizens depended on financial assistance from relatives abroad to meet their basic needs.
According to him, the country should focus on creating an economic environment where citizens can earn a living, access affordable healthcare, obtain quality education and benefit from sustainable employment opportunities.
“My concern is that Nigeria should not remain a country where millions depend on relatives abroad for basic survival,” he said.
“Our goal must be to build a nation that provides jobs, affordable healthcare, quality education, and economic opportunities for its citizens.”
He argued that the focus should be on addressing the conditions responsible for widespread financial hardship rather than interpreting his remarks as a call for Nigerians in the diaspora to withdraw support from their families.
The NDC presidential candidate also maintained that financial assistance from abroad, although important to many households, should not become a substitute for effective governance and economic policies that enable citizens to provide for themselves.
Accuses political opponents of twisting his message
Obi accused political opponents of misrepresenting his comments, insisting that his position was centred on the need to build a country capable of meeting the basic needs of its citizens.
He said his remarks had been taken out of context and presented as though he wanted Nigerians living abroad to abandon relatives who depended on them for financial assistance.
“Political opponents may twist my message, but the truth remains clear: I am not asking Nigerians abroad to abandon their families. I am advocating for a Nigeria that will no longer abandon its own people,” he said.
The former governor reiterated that Nigerians in the diaspora deserved recognition for the sacrifices they made to support their families, particularly amid the rising cost of living and economic difficulties confronting households across the country.
He maintained that the ultimate objective should be to create conditions in which families would not have to rely on relatives overseas to pay for basic necessities.
Backlash follows Manchester town hall remarks
The clarification followed criticism of comments Obi made during a town hall meeting with diaspora supporters in Manchester on Sunday.
During the engagement, a video of which subsequently circulated widely online, Obi addressed Nigerians in the United Kingdom who received requests for financial assistance from relatives and acquaintances in Nigeria.
In the footage, he urged them to stop giving money to people who approached them for financial support, arguing that such assistance could provide temporary relief without resolving the underlying economic problems.
“You have people at home in Nigeria today who are begging you for money. Tell them no!” he said.
The remarks generated reactions online, with discussions focusing on whether his message amounted to asking Nigerians abroad to withdraw financial support from their families.
His subsequent statement sought to distinguish his criticism of the country’s economic dependence on remittances from the personal decisions of Nigerians who assist their relatives.
Calls for focus on leadership and economic opportunities
During the Manchester meeting, Obi also attributed Nigeria’s economic difficulties to poor leadership and urged Nigerians living abroad to encourage their relatives and friends at home to participate in elections.
He called on them to support the emergence of leaders who would prioritise productivity, employment and economic opportunities.
His argument was that Nigeria needed to create an environment where citizens could secure jobs, establish businesses and meet their basic needs without depending excessively on financial assistance from family members living overseas.
The latest clarification comes as Obi seeks to explain his position following the public reaction to his remarks.
While reaffirming his appreciation for Nigerians in the diaspora, he maintained that his central message was the need for a country that provides opportunities for its citizens rather than leaving millions dependent on relatives abroad.
He insisted that his comments should be understood as a call for improved governance and economic reform, not as an instruction to Nigerians overseas to abandon their families.
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