Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, on Monday voiced deep concern over what he described as the growing disconnect between Nigeria’s suffering citizens and the country’s political leadership. Obi made the remarks while speaking with a group of young Nigerians who approached him at the Abuja airport during his trip to Lagos.
According to him, the youths expressed worry that he had not commented on the series of troubling events dominating national discourse in recent days — including the appointment of “unqualified” ambassadorial nominees, the ridicule of national institutions, the First Lady’s lavish dinners with senators amid widespread hardship, the abduction of schoolchildren, and the continued killings across the country.
Obi said he understood their frustration, describing the current national mood as one filled with “silent pain” borne by Nigerians watching their country “bleed daily.” He recalled what he termed a humiliating remark by an American president who once referred to Nigeria as a “now disgraced country,” adding that recent events sadly validate such criticism.
He condemned what he called the insensitivity of the nation’s leaders, noting that while citizens are being killed, leaders are “busy hosting dinners”; while children are being abducted, the political class is “celebrating and dancing”; and while families struggle to feed, those in power are “welcoming defectors and exchanging gifts as though Nigeria is not burning.”
“This is not governance. This is not leadership. And this is certainly not the Nigeria we deserve,” he said.
Obi stressed that nations progress only when leaders feel the pain of their citizens and uphold compassion, competence, and accountability. He warned against normalising what he described as a growing culture of mediocrity, corruption, and impunity.
Appealing to young Nigerians, Obi urged them not to lose hope or become numb to the country’s challenges, insisting that a “New Nigeria” — one that is just, secure, productive, and respected — remains possible.
“It will not happen by accident,” he said. “It will happen because people like you refuse to accept failure as our destiny.”
He reaffirmed his commitment to continue speaking out and advocating for a better Nigeria.
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