Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, has urged Nigerians to be steadfast and positive, claiming that a new Nigeria is still achievable.
Obi urged Nigerians not to despair about the country’s terrible predicament 63 years after independence from colonial domination in his Independence message to Nigerians on Saturday.
He said: “Even amidst grave uncertainties and apparent hardship, the citizens of Nigeria are experiencing due to persistent leadership failure after 63 years of our nationhood, the situation might be critical, but certainly not hopeless.”
Obi stated that the actual reason Nigerians have remained clearly trapped in terrible governance and poverty after 63 years is that successive regimes have attempted to suppress conscientious individuals through policies, actions, and inactions in order for them to continue in power.
He said:
“The evidence of elite consensus on the way forward on structure and nation-building remains a core problem.
“If the input is garbage in, then the output will be garbage out.
“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.”
Obi also said:
“At 63 years, what type of questions are Nigerians asking of their leaders, and what type of answer are we expecting?
“If, at 63 years, we cannot conduct an election to allow the will of the people to prevail, what type of country do we expect?
“Every year on October 1 since 1960, we try to review our life as a nation, but on looking back, can we say that where we are is where we are supposed to be despite our vast human and natural resources?
“The answer is no.”
Obi voiced hope for a new Nigeria, saying that the burden of responsibility is on Nigerians to reclaim their country from those involved in state control.
While wishing Nigerians a happy independence day, the former Anambra state governor prayed for God’s continued mercy and grace on the country.
