LONDON — The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has said his remarks to Nigerians living in the United Kingdom were twisted by his opponents.

At a town hall meeting with supporters on Sunday, a clip of which spread on social media, Obi urged Nigerians abroad to refuse requests for money from relatives and instead encourage them to vote for leaders with a record of fighting corruption. He said he was not a saint, but that he left savings in the Anambra State treasury when he was governor from 2006 to 2014, and challenged other former governors to show comparable savings. Asked about his strategy, he told the audience, "You're my strategy."

In a post on X on Tuesday, Obi said he had never asked anyone to abandon their loved ones, and acknowledged that money sent home pays for school fees, hospital bills and rent.

Obi was the Labour Party candidate in the 2023 presidential election, which was won by President Bola Tinubu.