Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2027 election, has urged Nigerians living in the United Kingdom to stop sending money to relatives back home as part of efforts to force a change in the country’s leadership.
Obi made the appeal during a town hall meeting with supporters in the UK on Sunday, urging Nigerians in the diaspora to back his presidential ambition and support a candidate he believes can tackle corruption and Nigeria’s economic woes.
The former Anambra State governor, who is seeking to unseat President Bola Tinubu in 2027, argued that Nigerians must reject a political system he blamed for the diversion of public funds and the country’s deteriorating public services.
Addressing his audience, Obi asked them to tell relatives seeking financial assistance that the country needed a change in leadership before the cycle of hardship could be broken.
“You have people at home who are begging you for money. Tell them no. Let’s put somebody who has proven…” he said.
Obi, however, admitted that he was not perfect, describing himself as a potentially less corrupt alternative to other political leaders.
“I’m not a saint, but at least I have said something,” he said, challenging other former governors to show that they had saved up to 10 per cent of the amount he claimed to have saved while in office.
“So, let’s start with this one who is maybe less corrupt. We are not saying it is all, but let’s not pretend it is not happening,” he added.
The former governor maintained that Nigeria could only make progress when citizens stood up against corruption and demanded accountability from those in power.
According to him, money allegedly diverted by public officials could have been used to build schools, hospitals and other essential infrastructure.
“That is how the countries change. Countries change by people saying, ‘Hey, wait a minute, enough of this.’ And we know what our problem is,” Obi said.
“It is that money that they are sharing, that money they are using to buy properties, that is why they don’t build school. It is why they don’t build hospital.”
He also lamented what he described as the growing practice of public officials accumulating properties and wealth while ordinary Nigerians struggle to access basic services.
Obi contrasted the situation with what he said was the experience of previous generations, when public institutions were more accessible and public funds were not allegedly diverted on the scale he described.
His remarks come as political parties and presidential aspirants intensify mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections, with Nigerians abroad increasingly becoming an important constituency for political support and campaign mobilisation.
BACKLASH OVER REMARK
However, Obi’s appeal triggered criticism on social media, with some X users accusing him of encouraging Nigerians abroad to abandon relatives who depend on them for financial support.
An X user, @Mobola_A_Star, accused Obi of seeking diaspora support for his presidential ambition while discouraging Nigerians abroad from sending money to their families.
“So, he wants the donation of diaspora people, but the same diaspora people shouldn’t send money home again till he wins,” the user wrote.
The user also questioned whether the appeal reflected the mindset of a responsible leader, describing it as a campaign strategy built on fear and hopelessness.
Another user, @NduEbitea, condemned the suggestion, arguing that Nigerians should not be encouraged to stop supporting their parents and siblings because of political ambitions.
“Senseless talk. So, because of your desperate bid to become president, people should not support their parents and siblings again? Can you imagine this man?” the user wrote.
Similarly, @B_Mizack attacked Obi over the remarks, while @Deshysmalls suggested sarcastically that the former governor might have had too much Guinness before making the statement.
Another critic, @koobakedah, described the appeal as desperation and hypocrisy, arguing that family members in Nigeria would continue to need financial assistance from relatives abroad regardless of who governed the country.
The user questioned how Obi expected ordinary Nigerians to cope if diaspora remittances were withheld until the 2027 election.
Meanwhile, @abbeykool accused the former governor of promoting division, while @osazenoo and @olohunjuedani also criticised the remarks.
The backlash highlights the sensitivity surrounding diaspora remittances, which many Nigerian households rely on to pay for food, education, healthcare and other essential needs, as political campaigns gather momentum ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
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