The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi has called on Nigerians both home and in diaspora to join hands in rescuing Nigeria from its captors, saying there is real trouble.
Obi who is a key speaker, made the statement at Chinua Achebe International Symposium and 10th Anniversary Memorial Ceremony at Princeton University in the United States, said that rascality has become a measure of success in Nigeria and that must change.
We must have leadership that is committed to the rule of law, that has an identity and credentials that can be verified.
According to Obi, Nigerians must start working towards a country driven by competence and commitment to fighting corruption. He added that leaders in Africa’s biggest economy must be committed to the rule of law.
“We must have leadership that is committed to the rule of law… that has an identity and credentials that can be verified. We can start thinking of a new Nigeria with competence, and capacity that is committed to fighting corruption. Is it possible to fight corruption? The answer is yes!” Obi said.
“The trouble with Nigeria is self-inflicted. If Achebe was alive, he would have taken back the book. When he wrote it, there was no trouble. Now, there is real trouble in Nigeria. Rascality has become a measure of success in Nigeria. That must change, he stated.
However, Nigerian February 25, 2023, presidential election may have come and gone but there are issues of legitimate concerning the process in which Bola Tinubu who is facing criminal records and academic scandal in the United States of America, became president.
Meanwhile, FBI has promised to release some of his records in October and Nigerians awaits US court to rule on his Chicago State University certificate soon.
Obi, who came third, together with Atiku, who was second, filed an appeal at the Supreme Court to challenge the tribunal’s ruling that upheld Tinubu’s victory.
Read Obi statement via X handle
I’ve just commenced the delivery of my keynote address at the Chinua Achebe Symposium at Princeton University- the trouble with Nigeria is self-inflicted. If Achebe was alive, he would have taken back the book. When he wrote it, there was no trouble.
Now, there is real trouble in Nigeria.
We can start thinking of a new Nigeria with competence, and capacity that is committed to fighting corruption. Is it possible to fight corruption? The answer is yes!
“Rascality has become a measure of success in Nigeria. That must change.
We must have leadership that is committed to the rule of law…that has an identity and credentials that can be verified.
If India can feed its population, Nigeria with one-seventh of her population can do the same.
Regarding the vision of a New Nigeria, we must restructure; if Nigeria is being operated in ways that stop stealing; it will work. We don’t need to change the Constitution to secure the country, we need to do the right thing and abide by the rule of law.
If India with 7 times our population, and living in 3,200,000 sq kilometres can feed themselves, then we can feed ourselves because we live in almost a third of their land space, 923,000 sq kilometres with one-seventh of their population.