In a powerful and sobering address delivered in Abuja on Tuesday, June 10, 2023, Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), painted a bleak picture of Nigeria’s current state. Describing the nation as a “crime scene” in desperate need of repair, Obi highlighted the deepening insecurity, economic instability, and humanitarian crises facing millions of Nigerians today.
Obi didn’t mince words about the gravity of the situation. While Nigeria may not be officially at war, he said, the lived reality for many Nigerians tells a different story.
“Today in Nigeria, we’re not officially at war, yet Nigerians are living in IDP camps in their own country. Nigerians are refugees in Chad, in Cameroon. And the only reason is because we don’t have a government that cares for them.”
His message was clear: the leadership vacuum in the country is not only worsening hardship but also eroding hope.
The former Anambra State governor urged citizens to wake up to the scale of the dysfunction, calling for collective action to dismantle what he termed a “crime scene” of a country.
“Some people are dancing while the ship is sinking. When it finally goes down, it will consume everyone, rich or poor. I’ve seen this before in places like Beirut and Afghanistan. Crisis does not discriminate.”
Obi warned that complacency and misplaced priorities could ultimately bring ruin to all, regardless of social class or wealth.
One of Obi’s most impassioned criticisms was directed at the government’s spending habits. He contrasted the extravagance of public officials with the dire realities facing everyday Nigerians.
“We use public resources to paint offices and build mansions, while women die trying to give birth. According to a recent report, one woman dies every seven minutes in Nigeria during childbirth. That’s what we want to dismantle.”
He noted that millions of Nigerian children remain out of school, and essential services like healthcare and education continue to be neglected, even as billions are funneled into non essential projects and ceremonies.
At the core of Nigeria’s crisis, Obi said, is a failure of leadership and an economy that rewards wealth hoarding over value creation.
“Our leaders in government and business are producing poverty. When people hoard money without creating value, they are fueling poverty. A functional economy must be built on the exchange of real value.”
Obi emphasized that until Nigeria shifts toward a leadership model based on service, transparency, and economic productivity, meaningful progress will remain out of reach.
Touching on economic policy, Obi expressed conditional support for reforms like fuel subsidy removal and currency devaluation but with a critical caveat.
“Yes, I support removing fuel subsidy, but only after removing the criminality in the system. If we build confidence in the market and clean up corruption, the naira will stabilize. It’s happening in Ghana and Angola why not here?”
He stressed that reform must be rooted in justice and accountability, not in further burdening the already struggling populace.
Peter Obi’s address was more than just political commentary it was a clarion call to Nigerians to recognize the urgency of the moment. As the country grapples with profound insecurity, economic decline, and leadership failure, Obi urged collective responsibility and bold action.
“This system is unsustainable. If we don’t fix it now, it will eventually collapse with all of us in it.”
In a time marked by deep frustration and growing despair, his words echo with the urgency of a nation on the edge, desperately in need of change.
