Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, has stirred controversy by labeling Ukraine's recent donation of 25,000 tonnes of wheat to Nigeria as a "national disgrace." Despite Ukraine's humanitarian initiative to provide emergency food assistance to 1.3 million vulnerable Nigerians in the northeast, Obi expressed embarrassment over the nation's reliance on a war-torn country for support.
In a series of tweets on March 4, 2024, Obi commended Ukraine's generosity amidst its political challenges but directed criticism towards Nigeria's Federal Government for the current state of the economy. He connected the acceptance of food aid from Ukraine to years of leadership failure, highlighting the irony of Nigeria seeking assistance from a nation with a smaller population and landmass.
Obi called for a reevaluation of national priorities, resource management, and allocation, urging aggressive investments in agriculture and measures to address insecurity. According to him, these steps are essential to revive the economy and enable farmers to return to their fields. Obi believes that a concerted effort in these areas could reverse the current economic downturn within four or five years, leading to a self-sufficient Nigeria.
