- Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, urged Nigerians to maintain hope for a better Nigeria despite 63 years of independence
- Obi emphasized the importance of responsible leadership and the need for Nigerians to question their leaders and demand accountability
Mr Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate for 2023, has urged Nigerians not to despair after 63 years of independence, but to remain hopeful that a better Nigeria is still possible.
Obi, the former governor of Anambra, stated this in his goodwill message for the 63rd anniversary of Nigeria’s independence on Sunday.
In his Independence Day broadcast, President Bola Tinubu stated, “he was attuned to the hardships that have come because he has a heart that feels and eyes that see.”
Tinubu stated that his administration is now bearing the costs of achieving a future Nigeria in which the fruits of the nation are fairly shared among all, rather than hoarded by a select and greedy few.
However, Obi lamented the grave uncertainties and apparent hardship that Nigerians were experiencing as a result of persistent leadership failure after 63 years of independence.
He went on to say that while the situation was critical, it was far from hopeless.
When you Google a subject, the response you get will be based on the questions you input. Every nation invariably determines its own fate and destiny; and gets the leadership it deserves.
Nigeria cannot be an exception. If we subscribe to rogue leadership, then we must face the attending consequences.
At 63 years, what type of questions are Nigerians asking of their leaders and what type of answer are we expecting?
Present realities notwithstanding, I am hopeful that a new Nigeria is possible, but the burden of responsibility is on Nigerians, he said.
Obi said that “every Oct. 1, since 1960, people tried to review their life as a nation but on looking back, could they say that ‘where we are is where we are supposed to be despite our vast human and natural resources?’”