Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has dismissed claims that he urged Nigerians living abroad to stop supporting their relatives at home, accusing political opponents of misrepresenting his remarks.
Obi said his message was directed at the economic conditions forcing millions of Nigerians to depend on family members overseas for basic necessities, insisting that his goal was to see a country where citizens could meet their needs without relying on remittances.
The former Anambra State governor made the clarification in a post on his X account on Tuesday, following reactions to his comments at a town hall meeting with Nigerians in Manchester, United Kingdom.
He said his media office had earlier issued a clarification but decided to speak personally to address what he described as the distortion of his message by political opponents.
Obi acknowledged the sacrifices of Nigerians in the diaspora, noting that money sent home helped families pay school fees, medical bills, rent and feeding expenses.
“I deeply appreciate Nigerians in the diaspora who work tirelessly and make enormous sacrifices to support their families back home. Their remittances pay for school fees, hospital bills, rent, and feeding expenses. Their patriotism and sacrifices deserve our profound respect,” he said.
He maintained that he had never asked Nigerians abroad to abandon their loved ones, explaining that his concern was the country's inability to provide adequately for its citizens.
“I never asked them to abandon their loved ones. My concern is that Nigeria should not remain a country where millions depend on relatives abroad for basic survival,” Obi stated.
According to him, Nigeria must prioritise job creation, affordable healthcare, quality education and economic opportunities to reduce the financial burden on Nigerians living abroad who support their families.
“Our goal must be to build a nation that provides jobs, affordable healthcare, quality education, and economic opportunities for its citizens,” he added.
The NDC candidate accused unnamed political opponents of twisting his words for political purposes, reiterating that his message was a call for a country that would take greater responsibility for the welfare of its people.
“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.
He ended his message with prayers for Nigerians both at home and abroad.
The controversy followed Obi's address to Nigerians in Manchester, where he challenged diaspora members to stop automatically yielding to requests for money from people in Nigeria.
“You have people at home in Nigeria today who are begging you for money. Tell them no!” he had said.
The statement drew mixed reactions, with some interpreting it as a call for Nigerians abroad to discontinue financial support for relatives at home.
In his latest clarification, however, Obi emphasised that he was not opposed to family assistance from the diaspora but concerned about a system in which millions of Nigerians struggle to afford basic necessities without help from relatives overseas.
He argued that the country must create conditions that enable citizens to live decently through employment, accessible public services and improved economic opportunities.
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