Diasporas, investment Nigeria needs to turn around economy – Obi

The presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, says Nigerians in diaspora are the critical investment the country needs to turn around the nation’s economy.

“They are the most critical components of turning around Nigeria. The investment Nigeria needs to turn around is diasporas. If they believe in Nigeria and bring their resources, both in terms of their material, talent and energy, we will turn around the country,” Obi said while meeting with Nigerians in London, on Tuesday.

The former governor of Anambra State denied allegation that his campaign has received $150 million in donation from diaspora sources.

A group, Tinubu-Shettima Connect, had urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to disqualify the LP candidate over the alleged funding, for according to it, it violates the Electoral Act on campaign funding.

“Nobody has given me anything,” Obi said.

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He added: “That is speculation. What I need is not what they would give me. But what they would give Nigeria, because we need them to turn around Nigeria.

“This is the energy, the capacity that we need to turn around Nigeria. Every country that was turned around, was done by the diaspora. Even in the Bible, Joseph who left later came back to feed his people.”

He said his meetings overseas were not part of campaign activities but consultations toward the 2023 general elections.

“It is not campaign, it is consultation. I am consulting Nigeria diasporas to know why they should be involved in the Nigerian electoral process. And you can see from my conversation and everything that what I am doing is saying let’s get involved,” the presidential hopeful explained.

He further reiterated that the 2023 election should not be based on ethnicity, religion, connection, “my turn” or any of such biases.

“It must be on character, competence, capacity and determination to deal with the problems of Nigeria,” he declared.