Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has warned that Nigeria’s future will remain uncertain and troubled unless it embraces pragmatic, people-focused leadership.
In a statement shared on his X (formerly Twitter) handle, Obi painted a stark picture of the country’s reality:
“Hunger in Nigeria is no longer an invisible shadow — it walks among us. Poverty is not a statistic — it is the struggle etched on the faces of millions of our people.”
Citing United Nations data, he noted that 34 million Nigerians are projected to face acute food insecurity this year, while 63% of the population — about 133 million people — already live in multidimensional poverty.
Even with conservative official figures, inflation hovers near 30%. Economic mismanagement, high unemployment, and rising living costs, he said, have hollowed out Nigeria’s once-vibrant middle class, pushing stable families into hardship.
“This is not fate,” Obi declared. “This is failure — the result of leadership without competence, without compassion, and without the courage to put Nigerians first.”
The former Anambra governor pointed to Argentina as proof that turnaround is possible. In early 2024, over half of Argentines lived in poverty, inflation was above 200%, and economic confidence had collapsed. But within two years of decisive reforms, poverty dropped to 38.1%, extreme poverty fell to 8.2%, inflation slowed to 2–3% monthly, and urban poverty declined to 31.6%.
Obi emphasised that both Argentina’s leadership and Nigeria’s current government assumed office in the same year, arguing that while two years may not completely transform a nation, it is enough to begin genuine, visible change if leaders are honest, focused, and committed to their people.
“Nigeria can work. We can feed our people. We can restore dignity. But not while corruption rules and impunity walks free,” he stressed.
He concluded with a rallying call for leaders who put people before power, prudence before waste, and integrity before self-interest — leaders willing to cut governance costs, reject corruption, and invest heavily in education, healthcare, and poverty reduction.
“Other nations have done it. So can we. A New Nigeria is POssible.”
