By Okey Muogbo
Frontline presidential aspirant on the platform of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Peter Obi has lamented that those who benefitted from Democracy in the past are now bent on destroying it.
Obi stated this in his speech at the first National Convention of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC on Saturday 9, May in 2026 in Abuja.
Said he, “Today, the most painful aspect of our political existence is that many who once benefited from democratic governance have now become willing accessories to the destruction of democracy itself.
“Those who once fought for justice now openly celebrate electoral injustice. Those who once spoke against impunity now defend coercion, manipulation, intimidation, and outright political gangsterism, especially against opposition voices.
“What we are witnessing is not politics; it is a systematic assault on democracy and the will of the people.”
The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party further lamented that: “Nigeria today stands at a dangerous crossroads.
“Our democracy is under severe threat. Our nation is drifting without direction, and our people are passing through immense suffering.
“Across the world, Nigeria is increasingly described as a failing and disgraced nation. This is not the destiny God ordained for our great country. It was not always so, and it must never be allowed to remain so.
“Across virtually every recognised indicator of good governance – accountability, political stability, rule of law, control of corruption, government effectiveness, regulatory quality, and the separation of powers – Nigeria continues to record alarming failures.
“The institutions that should protect the people are weakening daily, while the burden on ordinary citizens grows heavier with each passing moment.”
Giving details of the poor situation of majority of Nigerians, the former Governor of Anambra state said: “Today, over 140 million Nigerians live in multidimensional poverty.
“Tens of millions of young people remain unemployed or underemployed. Inflation continues to crush families. Businesses are shutting down.
“Farmers can no longer safely access their farms. Communities live in fear. In this month alone, hundreds of innocent Nigerians have lost their lives to insecurity, while many others have been kidnapped, displaced, or thrown deeper into poverty.”
He also said that: “The most heartbreaking question confronting us is this: Who consoles the grieving mother whose child was abducted on the way to school?
“Who speaks for the father who can no longer feed his family despite working every day? Who defends the young Nigerian whose dreams have been destroyed by a nation that rewards connections over competence and corruption over character?
“Our present tragedy is not accidental. It is the direct consequence of years of deliberate sabotage by a political class that prospers by dividing the people and weakening the nation. Nigeria is not a poor country; rather, we are being looted into poverty.
“We have abundant human and natural resources, yet we remain trapped in deprivation because leadership has failed to place the common good above personal interest.”
The frontline presidential aspirant urged Nigerians to take a stand on how to remedy their misfortune.
“Our choice as a people is therefore clear: whether to surrender to despair and national decline, or to summon the courage to rescue our country and rebuild it on the foundations of unity, equity, justice, competence, and productivity.
“Where we are, national unity is no longer optional; it is a national necessity. We must rise above ethnicity, religion, region, and political divisions to recover the soul of our nation.
“With unity and effective leadership, Nigeria can become a productive and prosperous nation once again.
“We must deliberately support agriculture and manufacturing so they become the highest contributors to our Gross Domestic Product.
“Special strategic attention must be given to unlocking the enormous agricultural potential of Northern Nigeria and connecting it to industrial production across the federation. We must move decisively from a nation of consumption to a nation of production,” warning that: “We can no longer afford policies that foreclose our youth.
“With competent, compassionate and transformative leadership, we can defeat insecurity, reduce corruption, create jobs, tame inflation, improve education, and restore hope to millions of Nigerians.
“I remain convinced that a new Nigeria is possible, a Nigeria that is united, secure, productive, inclusive, and governed by justice and fairness,” he insisted
