APC CDC Secretary General Cautions Against Misrepresenting Diaspora Remittances as Political Leverage

Prince Stephen Tella, General Secretary of the All Progressives Congress Committee of Diaspora Chairmen (APC CDC), has cautioned against statements that appear to advise Nigerians in the diaspora to withhold financial support from relatives and friends at home as a means of achieving political change.

The caution follows reports that Mr. Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), told UK-based Nigerians at a town hall meeting in Manchester to reject money requests from people in Nigeria and instead urge them to vote for “productive leaders.” Reports quote him as saying: “You have people at home in Nigeria today who are begging you for money. Tell them no!”.

Prince Tella said that while the call for accountable leadership is legitimate, it is wrong—and potentially harmful—to frame family remittances as a bargaining tool for electoral outcomes.

“Diaspora remittances are not political weapons; they are lifelines,” Prince Tella said.

 “For millions of Nigerian families, money sent from abroad pays school fees, medical bills, rent, food, and small-business needs.

 Asking Nigerians to deny their own relatives support in order to force a political result is insensitive and risks deepening hardship among the most vulnerable.”

He acknowledged that remittances cannot substitute for good governance, job creation, security, and economic reform. However, he stressed that the burden of Nigeria’s economic difficulties rests primarily with policymakers and public institutions, not with ordinary citizens seeking help from family members abroad.

“The correct message is simple: Nigerians abroad should continue to support their families responsibly, while also demanding transparency, accountability, and competent leadership from those in government,” he said. “No politician should convert the desperation of citizens into a campaign strategy.”

Prince Tella further urged political leaders to focus on practical solutions that reduce dependence on remittances, including support for small businesses, affordable healthcare, education, food security, youth employment, and credible economic policies.

He called on the media and the public to distinguish between legitimate advocacy for better governance and statements that could be interpreted as instructing diaspora Nigerians to abandon vulnerable relatives.

Signed:

*Prince Stephen Tella.*

General Secretary,APC Committee of Diaspora Chairmen (CDC),

Chairman, APC Spain Chapter.