The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has expressed deep concerns about the current state of Nigeria, citing poverty, hunger, and insecurity as direct consequences of poor leadership. He made these remarks during a campaign rally held on Thursday at the Hockey Pitch of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium in Bauchi. As a former Governor of Anambra State, Obi highlighted the significant debt burden facing the nation and pledged that his leadership would bring about a transformative change.
Obi reflected on Nigeria’s past, recalling a time when the country was united and on a path to greatness, largely due to the leadership of Tafawa Balewa, a revered figure from Bauchi. He emphasized his connection to this legacy, noting that he hails from Anambra State, where Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, an elder statesman who championed national unity, was born. He lamented the current reality, stating, “Nigeria is breeding poverty; people are poor, hungry, and insecure.” He criticized the mismanagement of borrowed funds, suggesting that if these resources had been utilized effectively, as Balewa had done, Nigeria would be thriving today.
Obi provided a historical example to illustrate his point, referencing Balewa’s request to the World Bank for $82 million on June 19, 1974, to construct the Kainji Dam for power generation. He noted that the dam was intended to produce 750 megawatts of electricity and that the equivalent of that initial investment would now be approximately $1.25 billion. He pointed out that Nigeria’s current debt stands at N77 trillion, arguing that had the funds been managed wisely, the country could have built 150 Kainji Dams and would now be exporting power to neighboring nations.
In his vision for the future, Obi declared that a new Nigeria is possible—one that offers jobs, fosters economic growth, and ensures peace and security. He urged Nigerians to make their voting decisions based on merit rather than ethnicity or religion, highlighting that hunger affects people across all regions of the country. Additionally, he promised to create job opportunities for Nigeria’s large population of unemployed youth and assured the people of Bauchi that the newly discovered oil in the state would be harnessed for its development.
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