Obi Questions Quality of Ambassadorial Nominees, Decries Govt’s Priorities Amid National Challenges
The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, has expressed disappointment over the ambassadorial nominees released by President Bola Tinubu, describing the list as “shocking”.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday night, Obi recounted his interaction with youths at the Lagos airport after arriving from Abuja.
He revealed that they expressed concern over “the appointment of some of the least qualified individuals as ambassadors, our institutions being ridiculed, the First Lady hosting extravagant dinners for Senators while children are being abducted, and the countless killings across the country.”
Responding to their concerns, Obi said: “My dear younger brothers and sisters, there is a pain one carries silently when watching a nation you love bleed daily. There is a pain that words cannot fully describe—when you see the suffering of ordinary Nigerians and compare it to the reckless insensitivity displayed by those entrusted with leadership.
“It is the kind of pain that makes you remember the humiliating remark from the American president who referred to Nigeria as a ‘now disgraced country’.”
He noted that by looking around, young people would begin to understand why the world speaks of Nigeria in such a condescending manner.
Obi also criticised the quality of the ambassadorial nominees, saying: “Yes, some of the names being paraded to represent us as ambassadors globally are shocking. But with a leadership that has allowed mediocrity, corruption, and impunity to rise to the top, who else did you expect them to choose?”
“When our people are being killed, our leaders are busy hosting dinners. When children are being snatched from their schools, the political class is celebrating and dancing. When families cannot afford their next meal, those in power are welcoming defectors and exchanging gifts as though Nigeria is not burning,” he lamented.
The former Anambra State governor stated that this is not governance, nor is it leadership — and it is certainly not the Nigeria citizens deserve.
He stressed that Nigeria cannot continue normalising this level of moral decay and national indifference, arguing that a nation rises when its leaders feel the pain of its citizens — not when they insulate themselves from it.
“A nation progresses when compassion, competence, and accountability guide public office, not when frivolity becomes the order of the day.”
He urged the youths not to lose hope, become numb or let the current darkness demoralise their hearts, emphasising that “the New Nigeria we dream of — a just, secure, productive, and respected nation — is still possible.”
“But it will not happen by accident. It will happen because people like you refuse to accept failure as our destiny. We will continue to speak and insist that Nigeria can and must be better,” he added.
