Peter Obi Slams Remi Tinubu’s Birthday Appeal: “Nigeria Is Finished”

Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has strongly criticized the birthday request made by Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, describing it as a sad reflection of the nation’s priorities.

Mrs. Tinubu, while marking her birthday, urged well-wishers not to spend on gifts or newspaper adverts but instead contribute towards the completion of the long-abandoned National Library in Abuja.

Reacting via his official X handle on Sunday, Obi lamented that a country like Nigeria should not depend on birthday donations to complete such an important national project.

He faulted the government’s spending priorities, highlighting that billions of dollars are wasted on private jets, luxury mansions, and endless foreign trips while critical institutions like the National Library remain neglected.

“We are finished!” Obi declared. While wishing the First Lady a happy birthday, he noted that although her gesture was noble and selfless, it still revealed the tragic irony of Nigeria’s governance.

He recalled that during his tenure as Anambra State governor, he encouraged people to channel money meant for adverts into meaningful initiatives like computers for schools, but emphasized that such gestures were only meant to complement government efforts not replace them.

Obi further asked: “What kind of country must beg for charity to build the very temple of knowledge? What kind of leaders waste trillions on vanity while our intellectual furnace remains abandoned?” He stressed that serious nations treat libraries as sacred spaces of learning, not as afterthoughts or birthday charity projects.

He concluded by echoing Mrs. Tinubu’s point that education is the most enduring legacy a nation can offer its people, but lamented that the government’s misplaced priorities continue to undermine Nigeria’s progress. “If Nigeria will rise, it will not be on the wings of jets or mansions but on the strength of minds built in classrooms and libraries. Until then, the lament remains: we are finished.”