In a strongly worded statement, former presidential candidate of the Labour party in the 2023 Presidential Election, Peter Obi on Wednesday reiterated concerns over Nigeria’s security and political stability, referencing recent incidents of violence and what he described as deliberate government interference in opposition parties.
Obi recalled that “a few weeks ago, when President Trump described our country as ‘now disgraced,’ many were outraged,” but argued that recent events make the description difficult to dispute. He pointed to a series of violent attacks, including the kidnapping of 25 people and the killing of a general and several officers within the span of a week. He also cited what he called “another troubling terror attack in Kwara State,” saying these developments underscore a nation in crisis.
According to Obi, rather than uniting to confront these challenges, political actors remain entangled in “internal wrangling, party squabbles, and distractions.” He accused the current administration of fueling
crises in the PDP, Labour Party, SDP, and other political organizations. “Crises [are] deliberately orchestrated by a government that should be embracing everyone so we can unite in this troubling period,” he said.Obi contrasted the situation with his experience under former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, recalling that Yar’Adua instructed then-INEC Chairman Professor Maurice Iwu that the stability of all political parties—not only the ruling party—was essential to the health of Nigeria’s democracy. “No party was to be undermined; all were to function within the law,” he said.
He asserted that the current government has taken the opposite approach, appearing “more intent on weakening parties than strengthening our democracy—seeking to fragment the PDP, Labour Party, SDP, and others.”
Obi stressed that in functional democracies, opposition parties are respected, elections reflect the will of the people, and governance involves “carrying everyone along for peace and prosperity.”
He concluded his statement with the declaration that “A New Nigeria is POssible.”
