Onanuga Tackles Obi over Diaspora Comments

President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has rejected former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi’s claim that political opponents misrepresented his comments about Nigerians living abroad.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, Onanuga argued that Obi had not adequately clarified his remarks made in Manchester, insisting that his latest explanation reinforced his original message.

Mr Peter Obi, you failed to clarify your Manchester callous statement. Nobody twisted your statement. Thank you for affirming it again.

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— Bayo Onanuga, OON, CON (@aonanuga1956) October 21, 2026

“Mr Peter Obi, you failed to clarify your Manchester callous statement. Nobody twisted your statement. Thank you for affirming it again,” Onanuga wrote.

Obi had accused political opponents of taking his comments out of context in a post on Tuesday, while expressing appreciation for Nigerians in the diaspora who financially support their families back home.

MY MESSAGE HAS BEEN TWISTED

Even though my media office has issued a responsible clarification on the situation, I still find it necessary to add my voice to address the distortion of my message by political opponents.

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.

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.

God bless Nigerians at home and abroad. God bless Nigeria. -PO

— Peter Obi (@PeterObi) October 20, 2026

Obi who is also the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) acknowledged that remittances from Nigerians abroad help relatives cover essential expenses, including school fees, medical bills, rent and food.

However, he maintained that his comments were not a call for Nigerians overseas to stop supporting their loved ones. Rather, he said the country needed to address the economic conditions that leave millions dependent on financial assistance from relatives abroad.

Obi argued that Nigeria should prioritise job creation, affordable healthcare, quality education and economic opportunities to enable citizens to meet their needs without relying on remittances.

“Our goal must be to build a nation that provides jobs, affordable healthcare, quality education, and economic opportunities for its citizens,” Obi wrote.

He also maintained that his message was aimed at urging the government to build a country where people could support themselves, rather than one that forces families to depend on relatives living 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 said.