The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi has decried Nigeria’s swift descent into governance disorder, stating that the country’s leadership has abandoned its core responsibility to the people.
Obi expressed his displeasure on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, noting that this is happening at a time when the poverty rate is high, while there is “too much attention on frivolities”, describing it as “concerning”.
He wrote: “It is deeply troubling that Nigeria’s political leadership is rapidly descending into an embarrassing spectacle. We are at a time when our nation faces the highest levels of actual and multidimensional poverty, soaring infant mortality rates, millions of out-of-school children, one of the most insecure and hunger-stricken nations on earth, grappling with escalating insecurity and countless other challenges.
“One would expect our leaders to be focusing and sacrificing solely on providing urgent, transformative solutions to this myriad of problems but not necessarily. Instead, the national discourse is consumed by trivialities, whether it is allegations of sexual harassment or budget padding in the National Assembly, controversies surrounding State Houses of Assembly speakership, reckless Court judgments threatening to destabilize or deprive the State of funding to provide needed services to the citizens.”
The former Anambra State Governor also lamented about the happenings at the three arms of government, the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary, describing them as “disgusting and uninspiring”.
“The Executive show of negative power as seen in Osun State, the reckless Judiciary pronouncement on Rivers State that is capable of threatening democracy plus the embarrassing scandal from the National Assembly all combine to give a gloomy picture of our democratic journey.
“Leaders in these three arms should avoid undue disruptive interference in affairs of sub-national government activities. Urgent steps should be taken by the leadership of the three arms to stabilize our polity and stem politicians from defecting to parties where they feel it will be easier to rig them into office. This reckless neglect of serious governance is a grave disservice to the millions of Nigerians who deserve competent, accountable leadership focused on solving real problems,” he remarked.
According to him, the blatant display of political rascality, coupled with widespread irregularities, paints a distressing picture of a leadership that has abandoned its core responsibility to the people, and is reducing governance to a theatrical performance, rather than a serious commitment to public service.
“While citizens bear the crushing weight of various hardships due to misgovernance, those in power prioritize personal interests and political gamesmanship over the nation’s well-being. This mockery of leadership is not only unacceptable, it is a betrayal of the people’s trust,” he said.
The politician mentioned that Nigeria cannot afford to be governed like a reality TV show while millions suffer for so long.
“It is time for leadership rooted in character, competence, capacity, consistency, compassion, and urgency—leadership that prioritizes education, healthcare, and poverty alleviation”, he stated, adding that “anything less threatens the nation’s stability, undermines the present, and betrays the nation’s future.”
