2027 elections: Nigerians at home should be sending Nigerians abroad money, Obi explains statement on diaspora remittances

By our reporter 20.10.2026
Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate Peter Obi has clarified his statement urging Nigerians abroad to stop sending money home to their kinfolks.
Obi who was speaking to a group of Nigerians in Birmingham, England had urged diaspora Nigerians to encourage their relatives to vote for a good governance that will make Nigerians at home to be less depended on them.
The statement attracted a backlash from Obi’s political opponents, but writing on X Tuesday, Obi stated that his message has been twisted.
“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.
“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.
“Our goal must be to build a nation that provides jobs, affordable healthcare, quality education, and economic opportunities for its citizens who may be in position to send money abroad.
“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 wrote.