The Peter Obi Media Reach (POMR) has accused the ruling class of deliberately diverting public attention from Nigeria’s worsening economic and security challenges by focusing on what it described as trivial issues following the former presidential candidate’s recent television interview.
In a statement issued on Wednesday and signed by POMR Spokesman, Idris Zekeri Jnr, the media office said the reactions to Obi’s interview reflected a coordinated effort by “paid political operatives, propaganda machinery, and elements aligned with the ruling establishment” to shift attention away from the country’s pressing socio-economic problems.
According to the statement, Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), had used the interview to highlight structural deficiencies in governance, the country’s economic crisis, and practical steps towards national recovery.
POMR, however, alleged that instead of addressing the issues raised, the government and its supporters resorted to what it described as “weaponising minor slips, cherry-picking narratives, and elevating non-issues over critical national debate.”
The media office said millions of Nigerians continue to grapple with hyperinflation, food insecurity, rising energy costs, unemployment and insecurity, while political actors remain focused on distractions.
“Nigeria is in a crisis of governance, not a battle of soundbites,” the statement said, stressing that national discourse should focus on reviving the economy, restoring the value of the naira, improving security and transforming the country into a productive economy.
POMR also declared that the Obi-Kwankwaso Movement would not be drawn into what it called “trivial controversies” created by those responsible for Nigeria’s current challenges.
The statement urged the media and Nigerians, particularly young people, to resist what it described as propaganda and instead demand accountability from the government by asking critical questions about plans to reduce food inflation, improve security on farms and highways, and tackle rising poverty.
It reaffirmed Peter Obi’s commitment to promoting what it described as a new Nigeria founded on competence, transparency, character and practical solutions.
“No amount of coordinated distraction or smear will deter him from speaking truth to power and standing firmly with the Nigerian people,” the statement added, while urging Nigerians to remain focused on issues affecting their daily lives rather than political distractions.
