On Sunday, the 2023 Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, expressed grave concern over Nigeria’s deepening poverty crisis, blaming it on the failure of political leadership to prioritize governance over trivialities.
In a strongly worded statement issued on his verified X handle, Obi lamented that while millions of Nigerians suffer under crushing economic hardship, the nation’s leadership remains preoccupied with distractions such as political scandals, judicial controversies, and power struggles in various arms of government.
He noted that Nigeria currently faces one of its worst economic periods, with alarming rates of multidimensional poverty, rising infant mortality, and millions of out-of-school children.
According to him, the country also grapples with escalating insecurity and hunger, making it one of the most distressed nations globally.
READ ALSO:
Despite these dire challenges, Obi criticized the three arms of government, the Executive, Legislature, and Judiciary, for engaging in actions that do little to improve the lives of ordinary Nigerians.
He cited examples such as alleged budget padding in the National Assembly, political interference at the state level, and judicial rulings that could destabilize governance.
He further stressed that rather than indulging in political gamesmanship and reckless power plays, leaders should be focused on providing urgent and transformative solutions to Nigeria’s worsening socioeconomic conditions.
He called for an end to undue interference in sub-national governance and urged politicians to stop defecting to parties where they believe they can manipulate the system for electoral advantage.
Obi decried the growing disconnect between the government and the people, warning that the blatant neglect of governance in favor of political theatrics is a betrayal of the trust Nigerians placed in their leaders.
He argued that the priority should be on education, healthcare, food security, and poverty alleviation rather than personal political ambitions.
He described the current state of leadership in Nigeria as “a mockery of governance,” emphasizing that the country cannot continue to be run like a reality TV show while millions endure untold suffering.
He called for a leadership approach grounded in character, competence, capacity, consistency, and compassion, qualities he believes are necessary to rescue the nation from its current decline.
