Unlike ratio decidendi which is a statement of law relating to the issues before the court, obiter dictum on the other hand is a statement of law which does not relate to the issues before the court.
Thus a court is always at liberty to make statements of law in advising the parties before it or for some other reason. Once the said statement of law is not made with the purpose of determining the issues before the court, the said statement of law is an obiter dictum and not a ratio decidendi.
Both an obiter dictum and ratio decidendi are concerned with statements of law and not statements of facts.