Skrtel

A NEW DIMENSION OF TOXIC POLITICS IN NIGERIA The new dimension of toxic politics that Nigeria has developed since 2025, I arrived at the airport at 7 a.m. this morning to board my flight to Enugu. There, I saw the Nigeria Under-17 girls' team, which had just arrived and was preparing to board its vehicle into town. With genuine joy and enthusiasm, I asked my Protocol Officer, Jackie Wayas, to find out whether I could greet and welcome the team. I was informed that officials of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) had refused and had requested that I not approach them because, if I did, they would all lose their jobs. Regrettably, this is not the first time I have been subjected to such treatment. On March 25, 2025, I was in Uyo for the World Cup qualifier. The governor warmly received me and welcomed me at the VIP stand. Following the match, other government officials went to greet the players, but I was again prevented from doing so. I was told by the officials that they would lose their jobs if I proceeded. It is deeply troubling to witness the extent of toxic politics into which our nation has descended since 2025. Each year appears to bring further deterioration. This reflects how deeply Nigeria has been affected. The new Nigeria we aspire to build must have no room for hostility, intimidation, or discrimination, regardless of political affiliation. It must be a Nigeria in which unity, mutual respect, and our shared humanity take precedence over political differences. A new Nigeria is POssible. -PO

FLAMINGOS: YOU HAVE MADE NIGERIA PROUD I extend my warmest congratulations to our exceptional Flamingos on their historic triumph at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco. To our talented young stars, thank you for raising our flag high and bringing immense joy to our nation. Your remarkable talent, resilience, hard work and dedication have earned you a special place in the hearts of Nigerians. You have made our nation proud, and we truly appreciate your outstanding efforts. Congratulations, champions! A new Nigeria is POssible. -PO

I am profoundly saddened and deeply disturbed by reports of violence directed at members and coordinators of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and the Obidient Movement in Delta State. I unequivocally condemn the attacks against our coordinators, supporters, and fellow citizens who were merely exercising their democratic rights. Political violence has no place in a democracy and can never be justified. No political aspiration is worth the life of a Nigerian, and no dispute should be resolved through intimidation, physical attacks, or the destruction of property. It is particularly troubling that, at a time when Nigeria urgently needs responsible leadership, some individuals continue to believe that political influence can be secured through thuggery, fear, and violence. Political authority should be attained through persuasion and the trust of the people, not by intimidating opponents. I urge the Government and the security agencies to conduct an immediate and thorough investigation into these attacks, identify those responsible, and ensure that they face justice, irrespective of their political affiliations. The safety and security of our members must be assured. We will not be intimidated or silenced, nor will we relinquish our democratic space to violence. Our response will remain peaceful, lawful, and determined. Nigeria belongs to every one of us. No political party or individual has exclusive ownership of the democratic space. Every Nigerian is entitled to organise, gather, express their views, and freely elect their leaders. Our nation needs constructive ideas rather than intimidation, responsible leadership rather than thuggery, and democratic contest rather than political violence. I stand in solidarity with everyone affected in Delta State. A New Nigeria must be founded on justice, liberty, peace, and respect for the dignity of every citizen. May God bless Delta State and the Federal Republic of Nigeria. -PO

GOOD DAY, MR PRESIDENT: NIGERIANS DESERVE ACCOUNTABILITY Good day, Mr President. I congratulate you on spending a night in one of Nigeria’s states outside Lagos and Abuja. I hope you enjoyed the warmth, hospitality, and delicious cuisine of Akwa Ibom, which I am sure is even better than those of the destinations where you have spent over 260 days outside Nigeria since coming into office. I sincerely hope this visit will inspire you to travel to the remaining 33 states of the federation, spend time with the people and, more importantly, explain what your administration has done with the ₦15.8 trillion saved from the removal of fuel subsidy, the over $100 billion you have borrowed, the increased revenues accruing to the government from taxing Nigerians, and the additional government revenues which your administration celebrated last year as having surpassed its target. Nigerians deserve to know how many that were pulled out of poverty within this period, how many out-of-school children were returned to school, and how many functional primary healthcare centres you have built. They also deserve to know how much electricity supply has improved, especially given your promise that if you do not fix power, Nigerians should not vote for you. They deserve an explanation of how you have secured the country, which still ranks among the most terrorised countries in the world. Mr President, Nigerians deserve answers. They deserve to know what has been done with the resources entrusted to your government. The New Nigeria we want to build will be based on accountability, transparency, and the physical, measurable impact of our public resources on the lives of citizens. A new Nigeria is POssible. -PO

A NEW AND PRODUCTIVE NIGERIA IS POSSIBLE, AND NIGERIA WILL BE OK Yesterday, 26th of October, our Party, the NDC Campaign council was inaugurated in Abuja. As part of my remarks, I told Nigerians how our richly endowed nation, the giant of Africa, is now the world’s poverty capital. Regrettably, over 140 million Nigerians are multidimensionally poor, representing more than 60% of the population. Corruption remains widespread, while insecurity affects every part of our country. Unemployment and inequality are at record levels, and Nigerians face severe and avoidable hardship. Even with the removal of the fuel subsidy and reckless borrowing, with a debt of over ₦165 trillion, there has been little or no corresponding increase in productivity. In the last three years, President Tinubu has foisted on Nigeria a reign of corruption and duplicity, resulting in extreme poverty. Today, President Tinubu has made history as the leader who has created the largest number of poor people in the world. This year, he has made about 16 million Nigerians extremely poor. Just last Saturday, President Tinubu, while launching his re-election campaign in Kaduna, blamed past and opposition leaders for the hunger and poverty that have ravaged Nigerians. What is clear is that President Tinubu does not have the competence, the capacity, the character, compassion or the commitment to solve the problems he created. He lacks the energy and the resolve to get Nigeria out of the current worsening crisis. Under President Tinubu, despite his promise to fix electricity, Nigeria now has the lowest consumption of electricity. Without reliable power, businesses cannot expand efficiently, hospitals cannot provide dependable services, schools struggle to operate effectively, and households face additional financial burdens. We will pursue an electricity reform programme focused on reliability, affordability, investment, and accountability. We will work with relevant federal and state institutions, regulators, operators, and investors to address the weaknesses affecting generation, transmission, and distribution. Under President Tinubu, Nigeria is more divided than ever, more terrorised than ever and more insecure than ever. Under President Tinubu, Nigeria has fallen into a crisis of values, such that our budgets are no longer credible and our laws are forged. Nothing is sacred. Nothing is spared from degradation, not budgets, not laws, not institutions. From our engagements with Nigerians across the country and all segments of society, the message is clear: Nigerians want and deserve a better, more productive nation, one in which good governance is visible, firmly established, effectively practised and embraced as part of our national culture. I, Peter Obi, with my very dear elder brother, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, implore and beckon all of you, committed members of our great party, the NDC, and all Nigerians, to join us in this crusade of rebuilding our dear and most endowed nation, Nigeria. Today, we begin a renewed journey towards a New Nigeria, united by shared purpose, founded on fairness, justice and equity, and committed to productivity, inclusion and development. We envision a nation where government prioritises the security and welfare of its people, good governance prevails, and public officials remain accountable. It will be a law-abiding society of healthy, skilled and educated citizens, where every child attends school and learns to read and write. No Nigerian should live in a displaced-persons camp, and corruption must no longer weaken our institutions or the fabric of our nation. A New Nigeria is our vision. A New Nigeria is our mission. Corruption today has become more pervasive under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s APC-led government. No state institution has been spared, and since 2023, its effects have spread throughout national life.

CIVILITY IS NOT WEAKNESS. ENOUGH OF THE HARASSMENT OF MY SUPPORTERS. RELEASE RILWAN OLAWALE NOW. The continued intimidation and harassment of my supporters across the country, the latest being the case of Rilwan Olawale, is disturbing and unacceptable. President Bola Tinubu has remained a huge beneficiary of our democracy and should not brazenly be destroying it by encouraging and facilitating violence. Our campaign is peaceful and issue-driven, focused on offering Nigerians a credible alternative built on competence, accountability, justice, and compassion. We have chosen the path of peace, not violence; persuasion, not intimidation. However, nobody should mistake our civility for weakness, our restraint for fear, or our commitment to peace for an absence of resolve. We will not be intimidated into silence, nor will we abandon Nigerians who believe in a New Nigeria that is possible and will be OK. I therefore demand transparency regarding Rilwan Olawale’s arrest, his release, respect for his rights, and an end to politically motivated harassment. No government or political party has the right to deny Nigerians the freedom to support a candidate of their choice. We will remain peaceful but resolute. We will not resort to violence, but we will stand firmly and lawfully against every attempt to undermine our democratic rights. A New Nigeria is POssible and will be OK. -PO