A prominent chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Segun Sowunmi, has cautioned former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi against painting Nigeria in a negative light during international engagements.
Sowunmi’s comments come barely 24 hours after he publicly urged Obi to return to the PDP ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Reacting to Obi’s recent lecture at Johns Hopkins University in the United States — where the former Anambra governor compared Nigeria’s economic trajectory with that of China, Indonesia, and Vietnam — Sowunmi accused Obi of misrepresenting Nigeria’s progress on the global stage.
Obi, in his lecture titled Politics and Change in Nigeria, highlighted how, despite similar starting points in 1990, Nigeria has now lagged significantly behind the three countries in terms of economic growth, human development, and poverty reduction. He cited comparative GDP per capita and Human Development Index (HDI) figures, noting that while China, Vietnam, and Indonesia have moved up the HDI ladder, Nigeria has regressed.
“In 1990, Nigeria had a higher GDP per capita than China and Vietnam. Today, our GDP per capita is now a fraction of theirs. We’ve gone from leading the group to trailing behind,” Obi said, adding that Nigeria now has more poor people than the three nations combined.
But Sowunmi challenged Obi’s narrative, insisting that such international commentaries unfairly discredit Nigeria and ignore the complexities of its informal economy.
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“With due respect, @PeterObi, these measurements are faulty,” Sowunmi wrote via X. “They are extremely skewed because those who manipulate these figures have no metrics to measure the informal sector in Nigeria. You need to stop this, especially at international forums.”
He further urged Obi to focus his criticism on global neoliberal structures that, according to him, have stifled African economies, rather than consistently berating Nigeria.
“No one who wishes to lead Nigeria should be its loudest critic abroad. Stop being the de-marketer-in-chief. Place the burden where it belongs — on the unfair global systems and their manipulative policies. Nigeria must come first,” he added.
Sowunmi’s critique underscores a growing rift within the opposition landscape as political figures begin early positioning for the 2027 elections. His call for Obi’s return to the PDP also suggests a strategic effort to consolidate opposition forces against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Obi, known for his data-driven policy approach and anti-corruption stance, has yet to respond to Sowunmi’s comments. However, his supporters maintain that acknowledging Nigeria’s challenges is essential for genuine reform and global credibility.