Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has rebuffed recent comments labelling his supporters as “street urchins,” insisting that his political movement represents ordinary Nigerians, not the elite.

Obi made the clarification on Wednesday while reacting to a viral video of Kenneth Okonkwo, a former Labour Party chieftain, who accused him of “attracting classless street urchins” and failing to manage supporters who spread misinformation.

In the video, Okonkwo had said,

“These are the kind of problems that Peter Obi has—attracting classless street urchins… all those rabies-infested dogs, ill-bred and ill-tempered. These are the followers he’s attracting now.”

Describing the remarks as “deeply unfortunate,” Obi said it was disappointing that some Nigerians still demean others in such derogatory terms.

“Humanity is paramount in my politics. No street urchins. Lately, I’ve heard people say that those who follow Peter Obi are low-class Nigerians, even calling them people of no value,” he stated.
“I have never and will never look down on anyone, except to lift them up. After all, we can only rise by lifting others.”

The former Anambra governor emphasized that his political ideology is rooted in compassion, inclusivity, and dignity for all, not elitism or social segregation.

“My politics has never been about dining with the powerful. It is about standing with ordinary Nigerians whose voices are ignored and whose resources have been misused by those who flaunt their titles and privilege,” he explained.

Obi said such elitist comments reflect the deeper structural inequalities in the country, where poverty has become a tool for humiliation rather than reform.

“No Nigerian is of no value. No Nigerian is a street urchin,” he stressed. “It speaks volumes about our nation when citizens battered by hardship are ridiculed by those who should uplift them.”

Reaffirming his commitment to inclusive governance, Obi concluded that leadership must focus on expanding access to education, healthcare, and economic empowerment for all.

“Every Nigerian deserves dignity, opportunity, and care. True leadership is not about mocking the weak—it is about lifting them up,” he said.