The Presidency has criticised Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2027 election, over his comments on public funds.
This was just as the Presidency accused him of failing to practise what he preaches to Nigerians.
Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, made the criticism in a statement on his X account, where he referenced reports linking Obi to offshore assets and business holdings.
“Peter Obi just likes saying what he doesn’t practise. Remember the Panama Papers?
“Peter Obi’s undeclared offshore assets and business holdings, when he was Anambra governor, were exposed in the global leak reports. And here, Saint Peter is pontificating, fooling his gullible followers,” Onanuga said.
Onanuga’s remarks followed comments by Obi during a radio interview in Nasarawa State on Wednesday, where the former Anambra governor discussed public finance management, accountability and his record in office.
Obi argued that Nigeria could have accumulated substantial wealth if successive administrations had protected public funds and allowed them to generate interest in banks.
“I wish everybody in this country left money in the bank; they have interest. Nigeria would have been so rich that we don’t know what to do with money,” he said.
The NDC presidential candidate disclosed that his administration kept public funds in three different banks as part of its approach to managing state resources.
He also criticised what he described as a culture in which people who act honestly are targeted, while those involved in wrongdoing protect one another.
“Nigeria is a criminalised place. The criminals will always come together to show what the honest person did,” Obi said.
He added, “In Nigeria, to be honest is to be a criminal. To be criminal is to be honest.”
On the publicity given to government projects, Obi said his administration did not prioritise ceremonies and television appearances to showcase its achievements because the projects were funded with public money.
“We did what we were doing with public money, so the public already see us working, so why are we going to do the ceremony or showing it on TV? Maybe I was wrong, but that was what happened,” he said.
Obi also defended his administration’s record in basic education, claiming that Anambra recorded notable achievements in the sector during his tenure.
“I was the best in education, basic education as a governor. You can go and check the records,” he said.
To support his claim, Obi cited a visit by Oxford University professor Paul Collier, whom he said assessed educational developments across several states and witnessed improvements in Anambra.
The former governor maintained that prudent management of public resources and investment in education were essential to Nigeria’s development.