Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has strongly criticized those labeling his supporters as “street urchins” or “low-class Nigerians,” describing such remarks as disrespectful to ordinary citizens and contrary to the values that hold the nation together. In a statement on his X handle on Wednesday, Obi said he found it “deeply unfortunate” that some privileged Nigerians have resorted to class-based insults against citizens who share in his vision for a fair and inclusive society. “Lately, I have heard a few people say that those who follow Peter Obi are low-class Nigerians, and some have even gone as far as calling them ‘street urchins’ and people of no value. It is deeply unfortunate that in today’s Nigeria, citizens now look down on fellow citizens in such a degrading manner,” he wrote. Obi stressed that his politics have always been guided by empathy, inclusiveness, and service to humanity, not elitism. “I have never and will never look down on anyone, except to lift them up. After all, we can only rise by lifting others,” he stated. The former Anambra governor explained that his political commitment has always been to ordinary Nigerians whose voices have been silenced by the powerful elite. “My involvement in politics has never been about mingling with the so-called high and mighty, but about standing with the people whose resources have been plundered by those same ‘big names’ who now parade themselves with titles,” he said. Describing it as “morally wrong” to insult struggling Nigerians already weighed down by economic hardship, Obi maintained that every citizen deserves dignity and respect. “No Nigerian is of no value. No Nigerian is a street urchin,” he said. “It says a lot about our nation when leaders refer to their own citizens as people of no value and as urchins.” Reaffirming his belief in compassionate and people-centered leadership, Obi said governance should be measured by care for the vulnerable. “Every Nigerian deserves dignity, opportunity, and care. True leadership is not about mocking the weak; it is about lifting them up,” he added. His remarks come a day after he appealed to the Lagos State Government to act with compassion in its ongoing demolition exercise, emphasizing that being legally right should never override the need to be morally just.