Former Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, has responded to widespread reactions over his participation in a recent charity event where he was seen serving food to attendees, stating that true leadership must reflect service and humility.
Obi, in a statement released on Sunday, clarified that the event — the Jubilee of Hope held in Imo State — was a private, non-political gathering aimed at promoting empathy and service to the poor. He explained that his participation, including serving food, was consistent with his lifelong belief in servant leadership.
“It’s sounding strange that I was seen serving food to people. Let me be clear, that event was not about me,” Obi said. “Its purpose is straightforward: to remind us all that true leadership is service, and that those who have must never forget those who do not.”
He noted that he neither posted photos nor invited media coverage to the event, and expressed concern that some third-party posts were being misinterpreted and politicized. “As expected, the usual naysayers and paid agents went to work trying to twist something sincere into something political,” he said.
Obi stressed that many other prominent Nigerians, including Cardinal John Onaiyekan, Senator Osita Izunaso, and former Seplat chairman Dr. A.B.C. Orjiako, also participated in the outreach, serving food quietly and sincerely. “It wasn’t about the cameras; it was about conscience,” he stated.
The former Anambra State governor described the event as a call for Nigeria’s elites to step down from their high places and connect with the underprivileged. “Service is not special, it is expected,” he said, adding that even in his private life he continues to serve guests himself, sweep, and clean without domestic staff.
Obi called on political and business leaders to embrace a culture of empathy, equity, and responsibility, noting that the poor must not be left behind in the push for a better Nigeria.
“We cannot speak of building a New Nigeria while ignoring the hungry, the forgotten, and the poor,” Obi said. “Let us work together to build a country where hope is not seasonal, and dignity is not a privilege, but a right.”
He concluded his statement with his trademark optimism: “A New Nigeria is POssible.”
