The Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Mr Peter Obi, has stated that the rising wave of violence in the country is a direct consequence of leadership failure and not fate.
Obi stressed that no serious nation can thrive on excuses, indifference, or leaders who, he said, were missing in action.
The former Anambra State governor made the remark after reviewing the country’s security situation over the past 10 days, in a post on his X handle titled, “Is Nigeria cursed, or are we the curse?”
According to him, “The past 10 days in Nigeria have witnessed unprecedented negative news, a level of chaos, insecurity, and institutional decay that should trouble the conscience of all the leaders.”
He stated that the country was currently experiencing troubling times, not due to fate, but as a result of collective leadership failures that had allowed insecurity, lawlessness, and institutional decay to flourish.
“Each day confronts us with a new tragedy and a new reminder that our beloved country is drifting amid a clear absence of competent, compassionate, responsive and responsible leadership.
“We have all watched a nation blessed with people of strength and resilience drift into avoidable disorder. We should be asking ourselves: Are we cursed, or are we the curse?” he stated.
According to Obi, the past 10 days began with the kidnapping of six senior directors from the Ministry of Defence along the Kogi axis, a stark reminder that even those responsible for the nation’s security are no longer safe.
He noted that this was followed by the brutal killing of a Brigadier General by terrorists, recalling that over 400 citizens, including 300 schoolchildren, were abducted in multiple raids, placing Nigeria in the global spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
In the midst of these developments, Obi highlighted the incident during the All Nigeria Judges’ Conference, where judges allegedly were seen standing as the APC partisan song, “On Your Mandate We Shall Stand,” played ahead of President Bola Tinubu’s address.
He said this moment further eroded public trust in institutions tasked with upholding the rule of law.
Obi also reported that, while addressing this issue, he received news of the abduction of 13 female farmers in Askira-Uba LGA of Borno State by suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists.
He emphasised that no serious nation can survive on excuses, indifference, or absentee leadership, asserting that the current crises are a direct result of leaders failing to value human life.
The former presidential candidate added that Nigeria is suffering because those elected to protect the nation have prioritised comfort over courage, politics over people, and power over purpose.
He urged Nigerian leaders to act with accountability and courage, reminding them that the nation’s future depends on their willingness to prioritise the well-being and security of all Nigerians over personal or political interests.