Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, has expressed deep concern over Nigeria’s persistent selection of ineffective leadership, asserting that it is the root cause of the nation’s challenges.
Referencing a recent tweet by the US mission in Nigeria that criticized governors for their lavish lifestyles while urging citizens to endure hardship, Obi stated that the cumulative impact of poor leadership continues to be the country’s primary barrier to progress.
In a post on X on July 30, Obi wrote:
Leadership Failure: Nigeria’s Greatest Burden
I have consistently maintained that leadership failure lies at the heart of Nigeria’s problems. Until we confront it head-on, the country cannot move in the right direction. The cumulative effect of poor leadership remains our greatest obstacle to development. This calls for urgent disruption of the current retrogressive system and the enthronement of leaders with competence, character, capacity, and compassion.
Our declining governance has drawn global attention, as shown in the recent statement by the U.S. Diplomatic Mission in Nigeria, echoed in The Africa Report (x.com/usinnigeria/st…) – a clear confirmation of what many of us have long said. Once again, let me be clear: you cannot ask the people to keep fasting while you feast every day. As Chinua Achebe rightly said, “The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership.”
I speak out to help build a new Nigeria, free of criminality and corruption. But instead of addressing the message, those who have hijacked our country deploy media thugs to insult and distract. Now that the American government has made similar observations, perhaps they too will become targets.
To all well-meaning Nigerians: this must stop. We must dismantle the system of criminality. We have voted based on tribe and religion for too long – it is time to vote for competence. Let us move from waste, looting, and reckless borrowing to production. Let us build a Nigeria that works.
A New Nigeria is POssible. -PO
A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.
Nnamdi Okoli
