According to a report by Symfoni TV, on Thursday November 13, 2025, Peter Obi, the former Labour Party presidential candidate, has drawn a sharp contrast between the extravagant spending habits of Nigeria’s political class and the fiscal prudence of a foreign leader, specifically highlighting the mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani, who oversees a budget three times the size of Nigeria’s federal budget.
Obi used the comparison to call for drastic fiscal discipline from Nigerian politicians, arguing that true leadership prioritizes service over opulence.
Obi cited the New York Mayor as an example of a public servant maintaining a modest lifestyle despite his office’s massive financial power.
“We’ve just had a new mayor of New York. I said the young man, his own age level of 36 to 40. I said Google his net worth is about $200,000,” Obi stated.
He then underscored the magnitude of the resources the mayor manages compared to Nigeria’s entire national budget, a figure he quoted as $115 billion.
“Is when a city with a budget of $115 billion, three times Nigerian budget.”
The key point of Obi’s comparison was the Mayor’s public behavior, which he contrasted with the excessive motorcades and security convoys often seen accompanying Nigerian political figures.
“Yet if they see that young man with two vehicle on the road I can assure you he will not be measured the next day,” Obi concluded, implying that the acceptance of modest transportation in New York City is a sign of public service culture, a stark departure from the ostentatious display of wealth common among Nigeria’s ruling elite.
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