Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Monday, criticised former Anambra State Governor and Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Mr. Peter Obi, over his remarks on Nigeria’s poverty level under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In a statement titled “Factually Addressing Mr. Peter Obi’s Criticism of Nigeria at Johns Hopkins University,” Governor Sanwo-Olu said Mr. Obi lacked the moral authority to make “alarming claims” about poverty in Nigeria.
Peter Obi, while speaking at Johns Hopkins University, had compared Nigeria’s poverty situation with countries like China and Vietnam, blaming poor leadership for Nigeria’s challenges.
Obi said: “The question is, what exactly did these countries do to achieve the growth and development they are experiencing? It boils down to leadership — leadership with character, capacity, and compassion, focusing on education, healthcare, and poverty reduction.”
Reacting, Sanwo-Olu accused Obi of overseeing an increase in poverty during his time as Governor of Anambra State.
He stated: “Before Peter Obi became governor in 2007, the poverty rate in Anambra was 41.4%. Two years into his administration, it rose to 53.7%. Yet, five years after he left office, his successor, Willie Obiano, reduced the poverty rate drastically to 14.8%.”
Sanwo-Olu argued that Obi, therefore, has no moral standing to criticise the Tinubu-led government.
He further maintained that while Obi allegedly contributed to poverty in Nigeria, President Tinubu had a proven record of lifting millions out of poverty during his tenure as Lagos State governor.
The Lagos Governor also faulted Obi’s style of speaking negatively about Nigeria on international platforms, stressing that true patriots should promote their country’s image abroad, irrespective of their political views.
He added: “It is ironic that a man who, in eight years as governor, neither built a single school nor a stand-alone hospital, nor created sustainable credit facilities, would criticise a government actively working in these areas.”
Highlighting Tinubu’s achievements, Sanwo-Olu pointed out that Tinubu built over 200 schools and provided student loans to more than 200,000 undergraduates, and has since extended over half a billion dollars in credit to small and medium enterprises.
He stressed that President Tinubu, who reduced poverty by over 46% while governing Lagos, has the capacity to replicate the same feat at the national level.
Sanwo-Olu concluded by urging Nigerians to judge leaders by their track records, saying: “The best predictor of the future is the past. While Mr. Obi talks a good game, the facts about his time in Anambra State speak for themselves.”
