Former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, has appreciated the leadership of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for the opportunity to be part of the party.
He also appreciated the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) led by Senator David Mark for providing a democratic platform that accommodated opposition members in the country.
Speaking in a statement released via his đť•Ź account on Saturday, shortly after the first National Convention of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Obi disclosed that he and former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, were forced out of the Labour Party and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), respectively, by ongoing litigation.
He, however, lamented that some people who once benefited from the democratic governance in Nigeria are acting in a way capable of destroying the nation’s democracy.
Obi stated that the current political leadership in the country are out to frustrate opposition voices, noting that such action must not be allowed to succeed.
According to him, Nigeria’s democracy is at a dangerous crossroads and the opposition must come together to rescue the country.
Today, the most painful aspect of our political existence is that many who once benefited from democratic governance have now become willing accessories to the destruction of democracy itself.
Those who once fought for justice now openly celebrate electoral injustice. Those who once spoke against impunity now defend coercion, manipulation, intimidation, and outright political gangsterism, especially against opposition voices. What we are witnessing is not politics; it is a systematic assault on democracy and the will of the people.
Nigeria today stands at a dangerous crossroads. Our democracy is under severe threat. Our nation is drifting without direction, and our people are passing through immense suffering. Across the world, Nigeria is increasingly described as a failing and disgraced nation.
This is not the destiny God ordained for our great country. It was not always so, and it must never be allowed to remain so.
Across virtually every recognised indicator of good governance – accountability, political stability, rule of law, control of corruption, government effectiveness, regulatory quality, and the separation of powers – Nigeria continues to record alarming failures. The institutions that should protect the people are weakening daily, while the burden on ordinary citizens grows heavier with each passing moment,” he wrote.
Speaking further, Obi lamented the poor state of security and development in Nigeria, saying that it can be traced to the failure of political leadership in the country.
Despite the dire situation, he, however, said the people must not surrender to despair as a better nation is possible.
Today, over 140 million Nigerians live in multidimensional poverty, Tens of millions of young people remain unemployed or underemployed. Inflation continues to crush families. Businesses are shutting down. Farmers can no longer safely access their farms. Communities live in fear.
In this month alone, hundreds of innocent Nigerians have lost their lives to insecurity, while many others have been kidnapped, displaced, or thrown deeper into poverty.
The most heartbreaking question confronting us is this: Who consoles the grieving mother whose child was abducted on the way to school? Who speaks for the father who can no longer feed his family despite working every day? Who defends the young Nigerian whose dreams have been destroyed by a nation that rewards connections over competence and corruption over character?
Our present tragedy is not accidental. It is the direct consequence of years of deliberate sabotage by a political class that prospers by dividing the people and weakening the nation.
Nigeria is not a poor country; rather, we are being looted into poverty. We have abundant human and natural resources, yet we remain trapped in deprivation because leadership has failed to place the common good above personal interest.
Our choice as a people is therefore clear: whether to surrender to despair and national decline, or to summon the courage to rescue our country and rebuild it on the foundations of unity, equity, justice, competence, and productivity,” the former presidential candidate concluded.
