Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has called on Nigerians living in the United Kingdom to stop sending money to relatives and friends requesting financial help back home.
​Obi made the remarks during a diaspora town hall meeting and luncheon held on Sunday, October 18, 2026, in Manchester, United Kingdom. Addressing a gathering of supporters, the former governor of Anambra State argued that continuous diaspora remittances merely cushion the immediate impact of severe economic hardship without tackling its underlying political causes.
​Addressing the audience on Sunday afternoon, Obi urged the diaspora community to use their financial leverage to demand systemic political accountability from citizens at home rather than providing a continuous safety net.
​”You have people at home in Nigeria today who are begging you for money. Tell them no!” Obi told the audience. “Let’s put somebody who has proven track record… Countries change by people saying, ‘Hey, wait a minute, enough of this.’ That money they are using to buy properties, that is why they don’t build schools. It is why they don’t build hospitals.”
​Obi argued that constant financial inflows from abroad insulate bad governance and shield political leaders from accountability. He maintained that for real reform to take root ahead of the 2027 general elections, voters in Nigeria must fully feel the urgency of demanding credible, accountable leadership rather than relying indefinitely on diaspora relief.
​Defending his prudence in public office, Obi challenged other former state governors to compare their fiscal records with his tenure in Anambra State.
“I’m not saying I’m a saint, but I saved money. I’ve not seen one governor who has saved 10 per cent of what I saved. No governor has done it,” he stated.
“Let’s start with this less corrupt one. That’s how other countries change,” Obi added, urging supporters to mobilize their networks at home to vote for competent leadership in 2027.
​The candidate’s blunt advice has sparked swift reactions across political circles and social media platforms.
​While supporters defended his comments as an honest critique of systemic political apathy, critics condemned the stance as insensitive to struggling Nigerian families enduring hyperinflation and rising living costs.
Political analysts note that as the 2027 presidential campaign season draws closer, diaspora engagement and foreign remittances remain key battlegrounds in political discourse.
