A top member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Segun Sowunmi, has advised Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, to stop speaking negatively about Nigeria, especially when attending events abroad.

Sowunmi shared his opinion after Peter Obi made a post on X (formerly Twitter) where he compared Nigeria’s economic progress to that of China, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Obi, during a visit to Johns Hopkins University in the United States, pointed out that in 1990, Nigeria, China, Vietnam, and Indonesia were all classified under the same medium level in the Human Development Index (HDI). However, between 1990 and 2025, China, Vietnam, and Indonesia moved to a higher HDI category, while Nigeria dropped to the low category.

Sowunmi disagreed with Obi’s assessment. He argued that the measurements Obi used were wrong and unfair. He explained that those figures did not properly account for Nigeria’s large informal economy, which plays a big role in the country’s real economic activities.

Writing on X, Sowunmi said:
“With all due respect @PeterObi, these measurements are faulty. They are extremely biased because those who create them do not have a way to measure Nigeria’s informal sector.
You need to stop doing this, especially at international events. Instead, you should hold them responsible for the harsh economic policies and pressures that hurt Africa!”

He added that anyone who hopes to lead Nigeria should not be the one tarnishing the country’s image.