You lack moral authority to make comments on poverty index – Gov Sanwo-Olu knocks Obi

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has fired back at Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, following Obi’s recent comments about Nigeria’s poverty levels.

In a statement he personally signed, Sanwo-Olu accused Obi of lacking the moral authority to criticize the current state of poverty in Nigeria, claiming that under Obi’s leadership as the governor of Anambra State, poverty increased significantly.

Obi had made his remarks during a lecture at Johns Hopkins University, where he compared Nigeria’s poverty levels to those of China and Vietnam.

Obi emphasized that despite Nigeria having 50 million people living in poverty, the country had a lower poverty rate in 1990 compared to the other two nations.

Obi insisted that effective political leadership, with a focus on education, healthcare, and poverty alleviation, was essential for development.

In response, Governor Sanwo-Olu expressed his dissatisfaction with Obi’s comments, particularly the former governor’s decision to criticize Nigeria abroad.

Governor Babajide stressed that leaders should promote their countries positively on the global stage instead of de-marketing them.

Sanwo-Olu pointed out that while Obi blamed the current administration for worsening poverty, he failed to take responsibility for his own tenure in Anambra.

Sanwo-Olu criticized Obi for not addressing poverty during his time as governor, noting that he did not build a single school or hospital during his eight years in office.

The Lagos governor highlighted the efforts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, his predecessor in Lagos, who he claimed had significantly reduced poverty by building over 200 schools, providing student loans, and offering credit to small and medium-sized businesses. Sanwo-Olu argued that the track record of President Tinubu, both as Lagos governor and now as Nigeria’s president, spoke for itself in terms of addressing poverty.

The Lagos governor also presented data to back his argument, showing that under Obi’s leadership, poverty in Anambra rose from 41.4% to 53.7% in just two years.

However, his successor, Willie Obiano, successfully reduced the poverty rate to 14.8% within five years.

In his concluding remarks, Sanwo-Olu questioned Obi’s moral standing to make such claims about Nigeria’s poverty, stating that President Tinubu’s administration had directly lifted millions out of poverty.