ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – Former Anambra State governor and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has sounded the alarm over Nigeria’s deepening crisis, urging President Bola Tinubu to step out of his comfort zone and lead with urgency, transparency and action-oriented reforms.
In a hard-hitting New Year’s message, Obi painted a grim picture of the nation’s economic collapse, worsening insecurity, and widespread hunger, declaring Nigeria’s current state as “a national emergency.”
He warned that the country risks further decline unless bold measures are taken immediately.
Obi decried the staggering rise in poverty, noting that over 100 million Nigerians now live in extreme poverty, with 150 million trapped in multidimensional hardship.
He described Nigeria’s descent from Africa’s largest economy in 2014 to fourth place today, with GDP shrinking to $200 billion and per capita income plunging to $1,000.
He further bemoaned Nigeria’s hunger crisis, citing the 2024 Global Hunger Index, which ranks the nation 110th out of 127 countries, and warned that the new N70,000 minimum wage cannot even buy a bag of rice.
In one of his most direct criticisms, Obi took aim at President Tinubu’s 180 days of foreign trips in just 580 days in office.
He urged the President to redirect focus to domestic challenges, suggesting a state-by-state tour to assess firsthand the dire economic and security conditions.
“Mr. President, Nigeria is bleeding. We need you here at home, not abroad,” Obi asserted, challenging Tinubu to conduct road trips to experience the decaying infrastructure and visit IDP camps where millions of Nigerians live in displacement.
Obi called on Tinubu to undergo medical checkups in local hospitals instead of seeking care abroad, to highlight the country’s crumbling healthcare infrastructure.
He also demanded surprise visits to universities to inspect how funds are being utilized, pointing to past presidential interventions that improved learning environments.
Obi proposed sweeping reforms to rescue Nigeria, including cutting the cost of governance to free funds for critical sectors like security, education, and poverty alleviation; aggressive anti-corruption measures with transparent procurement systems and recovery of stolen funds; and ensuring all future borrowings are tied to regenerative investments to halt the current trend of debt accumulation without tangible benefits.
Obi also underscored the need for credible elections and institutional reforms to restore public trust in democracy.
He urged Tinubu to embrace inclusivity, visit military bases, IDP camps, and regions facing crises to demonstrate leadership and empathy.
Borrowing a line from Martin Luther King Jr., Obi declared, “We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive actions.”
