Peter Obi has lamented what he described as the deteriorating living conditions of Nigerians both at home and abroad, saying many citizens facing xenophobic attacks in South Africa prefer to remain there rather than return to Nigeria.
Obi made the remarks at a dinner organised for NDC aspirants in Abuja on Monday, according to a statement issued by the party’s media team.
He said he had recently returned from South Africa, where he engaged with Nigerian communities affected by xenophobic tensions and attempted to facilitate their voluntary return.
“I just came back last night from South Africa. You know what Nigerians are going through in South Africa and so many other African countries,” he said.
He added that despite arrangements made to support their return, many Nigerians declined, insisting that conditions at home were even worse.
“We provided facilities for them to come back. But most of them told me they would rather die there than come back. They said things are even worse at home,” Obi stated.
The former governor said he had also engaged South African political leaders and former President Thabo Mbeki to discuss improving relations between South Africans and other African nationals.
Obi further criticised what he described as inadequate government support for Nigerians facing hardship abroad, arguing that diplomatic engagement from Nigeria has been insufficient.
He also expressed concern about Nigeria’s worsening security situation, contrasting it with the country’s historical role in international peacekeeping operations.
“Nigeria played a role in securing nations since the Second World War… but today, Nigeria cannot secure itself. This is unacceptable,” he said.
At the same event, NDC National Leader Seriake Dickson addressed concerns about the party’s primary elections, explaining delays in deploying electronic voting systems due to technical testing requirements.
He said the party plans to fully adopt digital voting in future primaries and eventually push for broader electoral reforms in Nigeria.
Former NNPP Board of Trustees Secretary Buba Galadima also advised aspirants to remain loyal to party outcomes, noting that only one candidate can emerge per constituency.
The remarks come amid ongoing national debates over economic hardship, migration pressures, and electoral reforms in Nigeria.
