Former Anambra State Governor and Labour Party 2023 presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has highlighted the contrast between leadership conduct in the United States and Nigeria during his ongoing three-day visit to the US.

Obi, who departed Lagos on 24 September for engagements in Washington and Chicago, with a stopover in Atlanta, travelled aboard Delta Airlines, the first American airline, which has operated for over a century.

On arrival at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, widely regarded as the world’s busiest, Obi noted its vast scale and economic significance. The facility handles more than 100 million passengers annually, five times the combined traffic of all Nigerian airports and contributes about $32 billion annually to the City of Atlanta and $70 billion to the wider metropolitan area and the State of Georgia.

He also observed that Atlanta City runs on an annual budget of about $3 billion (over ₦4.5 trillion). Its Mayor, Mr. Andre Dickens, a former businessman turned politician, has prioritised public safety, youth empowerment, crime reduction, and a $15 hourly minimum wage for council workers. Dickens’ net worth is estimated at about $10 million.

Obi disclosed that he met the Mayor and both travelled on the same flight from Atlanta to Washington. He observed that at the airport, on board, and on arrival at Ronald Reagan National Airport, there were no special announcements of Dickens’ presence, no aides carrying his luggage, and no preferential treatment during boarding or disembarkation.

Drawing comparisons with Nigeria, Obi noted that many governors, who preside over budgets far smaller than Atlanta’s and even local government chairmen with allocations less than 1% of Atlanta’s, often cause public disruption with sirens, convoys, protocol entourages, and ostentatious displays of power.

“Our public conduct and behaviour must change,” Obi stressed.