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As Nigeria marked its 65th Independence Anniversary on October 1, 2025, former Labour Party Presidential Candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, delivered a powerful message of hope and rebuke, declaring that “a great Nigeria is still POssible” despite years of decline under what he described as the “incompetent, divisive, and corrupt leadership” of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

In his Independence Day statement titled “A Great Nigeria is Still Possible”, Obi lamented the erosion of the dreams of Nigeria’s founding fathers, while reminding citizens of the country’s resilient spirit.

“Today should be a day of joy and remembrance, a day to celebrate the struggles of our heroes who fought to free Nigeria from colonial rule,” Obi began, adding that October 1 ought to also be a day of gratitude “to Almighty God for His blessings on our nation.”

Recalling Nigeria’s independence in 1960, Obi noted the optimism that surrounded the nation’s emergence as a global force. “On 1 October 1960, Nigeria gained independence to global acclaim as an emerging African economic and political power.

Such was our potential that Time Magazine predicted the rise of a true African superpower that would lead the continent with pride,” he said. “Our founding fathers fought for independence with confidence, passion, and determination to build a prosperous Nigeria that would stand alongside the world’s most advanced nations.”

But Obi did not mince words about what went wrong. “Unfortunately, tragic failures of leadership derailed this vision. Yet despite these setbacks, Nigeria has always shown resilience. In 1999, we overcame military dictatorship and restored democracy, beginning a renewed journey toward prosperity, freedom, and justice,” he said. That journey, he noted, once made Nigeria “Africa’s largest economy and strengthened our democratic institutions.”

He however lamented what he described as a downward spiral in the last decade. “Over the last decade, under the APC’s incompetent, divisive, and corrupt leadership, Nigeria has been greatly diminished,” Obi asserted.

Citing figures to underscore his point, Obi recalled how Nigeria’s debt stock once stood at N2.5 trillion—just 10 percent of GDP by 2007 after the Obasanjo administration secured massive debt relief.

By 2014, he noted, Nigeria had become Africa’s largest economy and was on the path to middle-income status. But today, he declared grimly, “Our total debt stands at about N175 trillion, nearly 50 percent of GDP, without any improvement in productive sectors. Nigeria has fallen to the fourth-largest economy in Africa, behind South Africa, Egypt, and Algeria. Our democracy is now described as ‘undemocratic.’”

He described worsening poverty and social conditions as the direct consequence of government failures. “In just one year, this administration pushed over 15 million Nigerians into acute poverty. Today, more than 150 million Nigerians lack access to basic healthcare, education, water, and sanitation,” Obi said, warning that “this number grows daily under an APC government that pursues brutal revenue-driven policies while ignoring the welfare of its people.”

In one of the most stinging criticisms of the Tinubu administration’s priorities, Obi decried what he called “reckless extravagance amidst mass suffering.” He pointed out that “billions are spent on new presidential jets, yachts, and luxury cars that cost more than the entire 2024 budget for primary healthcare.

The Vice President’s residence was renovated at a cost of N25 billion, more than the combined capital budgets of six major federal university teaching hospitals.” He further lamented that “over N10 billion was allocated for car parks and canteens for the National Assembly, more than the capital budget of the Ministry of Science and Technology at a time when science is crucial to national growth.”

Meanwhile, he noted, ordinary Nigerians are crushed under economic hardship: “Nigerians pay more for everything and receive less. Passports, permits, electricity, petrol, food, rent, and healthcare all cost more. Yet power supply remains unreliable, food insecurity deepens, and UNICEF and WFP project that 33 million Nigerians will face acute hunger in 2025.”

Obi condemned the administration’s reliance on borrowing, accusing it of “borrowing recklessly, not for investment in productive infrastructure but for wasteful consumption.” He painted a bleak picture of insecurity, saying: “Nigerians now live in fear of travelling by road. Kidnapping has become rampant, with billions paid in ransom. Incompetence in security management has turned our country into one of the most terrorised and unsafe nations in the world.”

Despite these challenges, Obi struck a note of optimism. “Nigeria’s potential for greatness remains. We cannot give up on the dream of a prosperous and secure nation. What we need is competent, compassionate, and committed leadership,” he said, urging a return to “prudent economic management, investment in human capital, rule of law, and infrastructure development.”

Drawing lessons from abroad, Obi reminded Nigerians that “we should learn from nations like China, India, Indonesia, and Bangladesh, which have turned around their economies through disciplined leadership and people-centred policies. Nigeria too can rebound, but only if we exit the path of incompetence and fiscal irresponsibility.”

He stressed that the country’s dire situation should be a rallying point, not a cause for despair. “The current administration’s failures must not lead us to despair. They should instead fuel our determination to rebuild,” he said. “Nigeria has the resources, talent, and resilience to become an industrialised nation in record time. With the right leadership, we can defeat terrorism, restore security, and guarantee Nigerians safe communities where enterprise and social life can thrive.”

Calling for an end to what he described as the “old politics of leaders feasting while the people starve,” Obi declared: “We must end a system where politics enriches a few and impoverishes the many. The old politics must end, and a new politics of prosperity for all must begin. Against all odds, we will return Nigeria to the path of prosperity and justice. We will not relent. We will not be discouraged. The mission is clear: Nigeria will rise again.”

The Labour Party leader further challenged political elites to rise above narrow interests. “I call on political leaders to reflect on the crises confronting our nation and recognise this as a moment to transcend personal interests. We must reject corruption, bigotry, and division. We must embrace a new Nigeria where leadership is defined by competence, compassion, and commitment.”

Ending on a note of renewed hope, Obi told Nigerians: “Despite today’s challenges, the future remains bright. Happy Independence Day to all Nigerians. A new Nigeria is POssible.”

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