Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate and former Anambra State governor, has shared a personal story of cleaning a badly soiled aircraft toilet during his tenure to emphasise the need for leaders to take direct responsibility for fixing problems, no matter how menial.
In the anecdote, recounted during a widely attended X Spaces interactive session on Sunday, Obi described travelling on British Airways years ago as a serving governor.
The toilet on the flight was “messed up,” and a woman – whom he identified as working with the Lagos State government under Babatunde Fashola and affiliated with a law firm – opened the door, saw the condition, and walked away.
Obi said he then went in and cleaned it himself, without informing anyone. When the woman returned and found it spotless, she expressed surprise to others on board, including a minister. Upon learning it was Obi who had done the cleaning, he explained: “I cleaned it because maybe I would be the next person who would go back there to use it.
“He tied the story to Nigeria’s security and broader governance challenges, insisting that leaders must demonstrate discipline and accountability.
“When you see things that are wrong, clean them,” Obi urged, criticising elite “fake life” and revealing he has no domestic help in his home – a practice known to those close to him.
The former governor argued that such hands-on leadership is crucial for tackling insecurity, economic hardship, and other national issues, expressing confidence in his preparedness to address them if given the chance.