Labour Party Presidential Candidate in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, the recent condemnation by the United States Mission in Nigeria of the alleged profligacy being perpetrated by some state Governors has exposed the country to global ridicule.
US Mission, in a post shared under its #TransparencyTuesday campaign, lambasted some Nigerian Governors for spending billions on new government houses, airports, and flyovers while asking citizens to endure economic hardship.
Obi in his reaction via his official X account, expressed regrets that the comments confirm Nigeria’s worsening leadership crisis and the urgent need to reset the system.
“I have consistently maintained that leadership failure lies at the heart of Nigeria’s problems. Until we confront it directly, the country cannot move in the right direction,” he said.
The former LP presidential flagbearer described the US remarks as a reflection of what many Nigerians have long pointed out.
“Our declining governance has drawn global attention, as shown in the recent statement by the U.S. Diplomatic Mission in Nigeria. Once again, let me be clear, you cannot ask the people to keep fasting while you feast every day,” Obi wrote.
Obi, while quoting renowned late author, Prof Chinua Achebe, added, “The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership.”
The former LP presidential flagbearer decried the growing trend of attacking critics instead of addressing core issues of governance.
“I speak out to help build a new Nigeria, free of criminality and corruption. But instead of addressing the message, those who have hijacked our country deploy media thugs to insult and distract,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to move beyond politics of ethnicity and religion, enjoining citizens to elect leaders based on competence, character, and capacity.
“We have voted based on tribe and religion for too long. It is time to vote for competence. Let us move from waste, looting, and reckless borrowing to production. Let us build a Nigeria that works,” Obi added.
Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, had accused the United States of making a hypocritical statement on the matter.
Fani-Kayode faulted the US for attempting to moralise on governance while allegedly contributing to global crises.
“Whilst the children of Gaza are being slaughtered and starved, the American government is sending more and more weapons to Israel to assist them in committing genocide,” the former minister wrote.
