By Rafiyat Sadiq
Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, has once again raised concerns over what he described as Nigeria’s deepening leadership crisis, blaming it as the root cause of the country’s development challenges.
Posting on his verified X account (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, Obi titled his remarks “Leadership Failure: Nigeria’s Greatest Burden” and said that until the nation confronts the issue of poor leadership head-on, meaningful progress will remain elusive.
“I have consistently maintained that leadership failure lies at the heart of Nigeria’s problems,” he wrote. “The cumulative effect of poor leadership remains our greatest obstacle to development.”
READ ALSO: Resign in 48 Hours or Be Expelled, LP Tells Peter Obi
Obi called for a decisive shift from the current “retrogressive system” to one that promotes leaders with “competence, character, capacity, and compassion”.
Obi Cites U.S. Concerns, Media Reports On Fiscal Recklessness
Referencing a recent statement by the U.S. Diplomatic Mission in Nigeria, which reacted to a series of investigative reports, including one published by The Africa Report, Peter Obi noted that concerns over Nigeria’s governance standards have attracted global attention.
The U.S. Mission had warned that “such alleged lack of fiscal responsibility fuels inequality and erodes public trust.”
The Africa Report, in its July 22 publication, alleged that members of Nigeria’s political elite are spending billions on luxury residences and renovations, in apparent contradiction of President Bola Tinubu’s call for a national sense of shared sacrifice.
He added, “You cannot ask the people to keep fasting while you feast every day,” citing the late Chinua Achebe’s famous quote: “The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership.”
Obi criticised what he described as the tactics of those in power who, instead of addressing legitimate concerns, deploy media “thugs” to insult and distract. “Now that the American government have made similar observations, perhaps they too will become targets,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to resist the politics of religion and ethnicity and to start voting based on competence. “Let us move from waste, looting, and reckless borrowing to production. Let us build a Nigeria that works,” he said.
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.
