Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has declared that Nigeria needs a leader with real wealth-creation experience, insisting that no current presidential hopeful — including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu — can match his business background.
Obi made the remarks during an interview with Kayode Akintemi on the programme “60 Minutes with Kay” , aired on Thursday.
The former Anambra Governor was reacting to comments made in 2023 by Rabiu Kwankwaso at Chatham House in London, where the former Kano Governor said he was academically more qualified to become president than to serve as Obi’s running mate.
Kwankwaso, who was the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party during the 2023 election, had pointed to his PhD as part of his credentials.
Both politicians are now members of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, with speculations growing that Kwankwaso could emerge as Obi’s running mate ahead of the 2027 election after the Party reportedly zoned its presidential ticket to the South.
Responding to the issue, Obi said qualifications depend on perspective, admitting that Kwankwaso’s academic achievements and public service record are impressive.
“Qualification is a perspective and it depends on where you’re coming from. He said he was more qualified because he has a PhD, which is not bad. I don’t have a PhD,” Obi said.
“He has some experience, he’s exposed. He was a Minister. There’s no doubt about that.”
However, Obi maintained that the country’s biggest need at the moment is not just academic qualifications but leadership driven by wealth creation and economic management.
“For what Nigeria needs today, Nigeria needs a wealth creator, wealth manager,” he stated.
“I have built reputable businesses from scratch locally and internationally. Nobody today in this context, including the President, can claim to have passed through my experience.”
The former Governor also addressed criticisms from opponents who describe him as a “common trader,” arguing that successful trading requires skill, discipline and intelligence.
According to him, if making money through trade was easy, everyone would already be wealthy traders.
“What Nigeria needs today is somebody that creates wealth, not somebody who shares wealth — somebody who can manage resources more efficiently and save for the future,” Obi added.
