The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has urged Nigerians living in the United Kingdom to reject requests for financial assistance from people at home.
Politics Nigeria reports that he asked them to support his bid to defeat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
Obi made the appeal during a town hall meeting with his supporters in the UK on Sunday.
He urged Nigerians in the diaspora to support his ambition, arguing that the country needs leaders who can manage public resources responsibly and tackle corruption.
The former governor of Anambra State presented himself as a better alternative to other political leaders. He challenged Nigerians to question the country’s political system and support candidates they believe can address its economic and governance challenges.
Obi said Nigerians abroad should encourage their relatives to prioritise political change rather than continue seeking financial assistance while the country struggles with poor public services.
“You have people at home who are begging you for money. Tell them no. Let’s put somebody who has proven. I said I’m not a saint, but at least I have said something,” he said.
The former governor argued that his record in public office distinguished him from other politicians, challenging his critics to identify any former governor who had saved 10 per cent of the amount he claimed to have saved.
“I wasn’t the only person who has been a governor and I challenged people and said, if there is one governor who has saved 10 percent of what I saved, and nobody has,” Obi said.
He added that Nigerians should consider supporting a candidate he described as potentially less corrupt, while acknowledging that he was not claiming to be a saint.
“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 said.
Obi blamed the diversion of public funds for personal enrichment for the poor state of essential public services, including education and healthcare.
According to him, money allegedly diverted by political office holders could have been invested in schools and hospitals to improve the living conditions of Nigerians.
“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. 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 said.
The NDC candidate also questioned the accumulation of properties by some public office holders, contrasting what he described as the performance of public institutions in previous generations with the present situation.
He cited reports of missing public funds and alleged personal enrichment by former public officials as examples of the problems facing the country.
Obi urged Nigerians to take responsibility for changing the political system, insisting that meaningful progress would require citizens to reject corruption and demand accountability from their leaders.
His remarks come as political parties and presidential aspirants step up consultations and mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
