Dr. Sam Amadi Criticizes Rising Attacks on Peter Obi by Government Officials, Urges Focus on Nigeria’s Challenges
Dr. Sam Amadi, the former Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and current Director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thoughts, has strongly condemned what he describes as a growing and concerning pattern of targeted attacks on Mr. Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s Presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections.
In a detailed commentary shared via his official X (formerly Twitter) account, Dr. Amadi expressed dismay over the continued vilification of Obi by prominent figures within the ruling administration, even as the former Anambra State Governor remains steadfast in addressing Nigeria’s systemic failures rather than engaging in political mudslinging.
According to Dr. Amadi, it has become an unfortunate trend for senior government officials to frequently and publicly criticize Obi, despite the fact that his public statements are predominantly centered around Nigeria’s worsening socio-economic conditions and the need for urgent reform.
Amadi pointed out that while Obi continues to direct attention to issues such as poor governance, economic instability, and national decline, his detractors within government circles appear more focused on discrediting his person rather than constructively engaging with the substance of his arguments.
Dr. Amadi highlighted recent examples of such attacks, including pointed criticisms from the Presidency, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
One particularly controversial instance arose after Peter Obi remarked during a public address that “the labour of our heroes past has gone in vain,” a somber commentary on the state of the nation which was perceived by many as an honest reflection of Nigeria’s deteriorating governance and societal conditions.
In response, Senate President Akpabio issued a scathing rebuke, accusing Obi of dishonoring the country’s founding fathers and showing disrespect to Nigeria’s history and legacy.
In another episode, Governor Sanwo-Olu took offense at remarks made by Obi during an international engagement where he criticized Nigeria’s economic policies and questioned the direction in which the country was headed. Similarly, earlier statements from the Presidency dismissed Obi’s proposed reforms and ideas on governance, suggesting they lacked practicality or substance.
In his commentary, Amadi rejected these attacks as misplaced and unproductive. He argued that while members of the political elite seem preoccupied with countering Obi’s every word, the former presidential candidate has consistently refrained from personal attacks, choosing instead to advocate for policy-driven discourse, economic revitalization, and institutional accountability.
According to Amadi, Obi’s unwavering commitment to Nigeria’s development challenges, and his insistence on prudence and reform, stand in stark contrast to the personality politics being practiced by some in power.
Amadi went further to suggest that if Nigeria’s electoral processes were governed purely by rational considerations, Peter Obi would have emerged as the clear choice for the presidency in 2023. He commended Obi’s focus on key issues and described him as a politician whose vision for Nigeria is grounded in the principles of transparency, fiscal discipline, and good governance.
The commentary has since sparked significant online discourse, with many Nigerians applauding Amadi’s courage in calling out what they see as an unhealthy political culture of distraction and hostility.
A growing number of citizens are now urging the nation’s leadership to redirect its energies towards solving pressing national issues—such as poverty, insecurity, inflation, and unemployment—rather than investing time and resources in discrediting opposition figures.
Dr. Amadi’s intervention, therefore, not only brings to the fore the ongoing tensions between the ruling establishment and opposition voices like Peter Obi, but also reinforces the need for a more constructive and issues-based political environment—one where the focus is not on personalities, but on policies that can lift Nigeria out of its current state of crisis.