A remark by Peter Obi to Nigerians living in the United Kingdom became one of the most argued-over clips of the week, and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate has since moved to explain it.
What he said
Speaking at a town hall with supporters in the UK on Sunday 18 October 2026, Obi linked the money that Nigerians abroad send home to the failures of government. Corruption, he argued, keeps families dependent on relatives overseas, and that will only change when Nigerians elect credible leaders. “You have people at home who are begging you for money. Tell them no,” he said, urging his audience to tell relatives to vote for leaders who will fight corruption instead.
Obi, who governed Anambra State from 2006 to 2014, repeated his familiar claim that he saved public money as governor and called himself the “less corrupt” politician. He also said unnamed politicians pay people to attack him on social media.
The clarification
As a video of the remarks circulated, critics said Obi was telling Nigerians abroad to abandon their families. His media office issued a clarification, and on Tuesday 20 October Obi wrote on X that political opponents had twisted his message and that he had never asked Nigerians in the diaspora to abandon their families.
Why it matters
Money sent home by Nigerians abroad is a lifeline for many households, and Nigerians in the diaspora are among Obi’s most vocal supporters. The episode shows how quickly campaign remarks are clipped and contested ahead of the 16 January 2027 election, in which Obi is running with Rabiu Kwankwaso as his running mate.
