Obi praises First Lady’s birthday but questions leadership priorities
Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has sharply criticized a recent appeal made by Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, asking birthday well-wishers to donate toward the completion of the long-abandoned National Library project in Abuja.
While extending his birthday wishes to the First Lady, Obi described the fundraising appeal as a reflection of the misplaced priorities of Nigeria’s leadership.
Taking to his verified X (formerly Twitter) account on Sunday, Obi began on a gracious note, writing:
“I join millions of Nigerians in wishing Her Excellency, Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu, a happy birthday. May God Almighty, who has been with her all these years, grant her many more healthy, fruitful, and happy years.”
However, Obi’s message quickly turned critical as he addressed the core of the First Lady’s unusual birthday request.
‘A noble gesture that highlights a national failure’
Senator Oluremi Tinubu had urged friends, family, and well-wishers to forgo gifts, cakes, or newspaper adverts, and instead contribute to completing the National Library, a project that has remained unfinished for nearly two decades.
Obi acknowledged the intention behind the request, calling it “noble and selfless on the surface.” But he warned that such a move inadvertently underscored a deeper issue — the Nigerian government’s inability or unwillingness to prioritize education and intellectual infrastructure.
“I was struck by irony reading her request: that instead of cakes or newspaper adverts, well-wishers should donate toward completing the National Library in Abuja,” Obi said.
Obi: Billions for luxury, but none for libraries
The former Anambra State governor expressed his frustration with what he sees as a glaring contradiction in government spending. He questioned how a country that allocates huge sums for luxury items and political perks finds itself unable to fund a national institution as important as the library.
“It is shocking that, in our present circumstances, while billions are easily found for jets, yachts, unused mansions, endless trips abroad, and other frivolities, the nation must rely on birthday donations to complete its own National Library,” he said.
Obi, known for his consistent advocacy for prudent governance and investment in education, lamented that the educational sector is often neglected, even as leadership indulges in what he termed “vanity projects.”
Education should not depend on charity, Obi insists
He further criticized the idea that essential national infrastructure, especially those tied to education and learning, should be dependent on personal charity or symbolic gestures.
“What kind of leaders waste trillions on luxury and vanity, while the National Library — our intellectual furnace — remains abandoned in the capital?” Obi asked.
According to him, “Serious nations treat libraries as sacred,” emphasizing that Nigeria must realign its values if it hopes to rise from its current socio-economic struggles.
Obi calls for real investment in education, not optics
Concluding his remarks, Obi reiterated that true national development can only occur through consistent and strategic investment in education. He emphasized that the strength of a nation lies in the minds of its citizens, not in political pageantry or material display.
“If Nigeria will rise, it will not be on the wings of jets or the splendour of mansions, but on the strength of minds formed in classrooms and nourished in libraries,” he stated.
Obi’s final message was a sobering one:
“Until then, the lament remains true — we are finished.”
