Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 General Election, Mr Peter Obi, said Nigeria needs selfless and exemplary leadership across the three arms and tiers of government.
But Obi denied any pact with neither the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) nor the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).
He, however, called on all lovers of Nigeria in the political space to unite in 2027 with a view to defeating the All Progressives Congress (APC), which he accused of mismanaging the country’s resources.
During a press conference in Abuja, yesterday, Obi stated that the much-needed exemplary leadership must begin at the very top, and called on President Bola Tinubu to commence a visible and verifiable reduction in the cost of governance so as to allocate much-needed resources to critical areas of development, such as security, health, education, and poverty alleviation.
He regretted that the political, economic and security situation in the country is worsening daily despite contrary positions and claims of improvement by the government.
The former LP standard bearer decried mismanagement of the nation’s economy in the last 18 months, noting that Nigeria has fallen from being the largest economy in Africa, with a gross domestic product (GDP) of $574 billion and a per capita income of over $3,500 in 2014, to now ranking fourth on the continent.
“Our current GDP is less than 50 per cent of what it was a decade ago, standing at approximately $200 billion, with a per capita income of barely $1,000,” he stated, adding that the situation has deteriorated under the current administration.
“Nigeria remains one of the poverty capitals of the world, with over 100 million people living in extreme poverty and more than 150 million in multidimensional poverty.
“Nigeria remains one of the most insecure and least peaceful nations in the world, with countless communities and families displaced from their homes and now living in IDP camps.
“According to the Global Peace Index (GPI), Nigeria ranks 143rd out of 163 countries in terms of peacefulness, an indication of a high level of distress. “Food insecurity has become our new national norm, making Nigeria one of the hungriest countries in the world,” Obi regretted.
He told Tinubu to pay aggressive and visible attention towards combating corruption, as well ensure proper investigations and recovery of missing funds or their sources.
“The focus should be on eliminating current and future official malfeasance through increased transparency and accountability in public procurement and contract award processes, as well as thorough monitoring of execution to ensure that limited resources are efficiently utilised and applied productively,” he averred.
Obi advised that all future borrowing should be tied to regenerative investments and visible, productive assets that benefit the nation.
