Peter Obi has responded to the buzz generated by a viral video showing him serving food at a charity event in Imo State. The video, which flooded social media over the weekend, triggered mixed reactions. Some called it humility. Others saw it as political strategy.
But Obi is not having any of it.
Taking to his verified X handle, the former Labour Party presidential candidate explained the real story behind the clip. According to him, it was never about showmanship.
Obi said he attended the Jubilee of Hope event, a private gathering aimed at reminding Nigeria’s elite that leadership must be rooted in service.
“My weekend activity of serving food at a special event has been generating interest, as expectedly, because leaders in our society have removed the service component in leadership,” he wrote.
He noted that the event was strictly humanitarian and not political. He didn’t invite the media. Photos and videos, he said, were shared by “third parties completely outside of my team.”
He described the event as one meant for “the rich to come down from their high places… and serve the poor, not as a show, but as a symbol of the society we must build.”
“Humility is not a campaign strategy”
Obi stressed that his act was not new or unusual. He said he has always lived simply and serves his own guests at home, even now in private life.
“I do not have a house help. When guests visit my home, I serve them myself. I live simply, I sweep, I clean,” he stated.
He was not alone at the Jubilee. Others who served included Cardinal Onaiyekan, Senator Osita Izunaso, and Dr A.B.C. Orjiako, among other respected Nigerians.
He added that he only stayed longer at the event because many poor guests “requested that I serve them personally. I could not ignore them.”
For Obi, “service is not special, it is expected.”
Obi’s statement raises an important question: Can sincere service survive in a society soaked in suspicion? Must every kind act be interpreted as a political move?
He ended his post by calling for unity around service to the poor: “Let us work together to build a country where hope is not seasonal, and dignity is not a privilege, but a right.”
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