Labour Party presidential candidate in the last election, Peter Obi, on Wednesday used Nigeria’s Independence Day anniversary to deliver a scathing critique of the country’s current state, warning that leadership failures had left the nation deep in debt, shrinking economically, and sliding into what he described as an “undemocratic democracy.”
Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja, Obi contrasted the vision of the country’s founding fathers—who he said fought with confidence and passion to build a prosperous nation—with what he called the tragic failures of successive leaders.
He said 65 years after independence, Nigeria’s total debt stands at about N175 trillion, nearly 50 per cent of GDP, without any improvement in productive sectors.
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“Nigeria has fallen to the fourth-largest economy in Africa, behind South Africa, Egypt, and Algeria. Our democracy is now described as “undemocratic.”
He added that in just one year of the present administration, “over 15 million Nigerians have been pushed into acute poverty,” while more than 150 million people now lack access to basic healthcare, education, water, and sanitation.
Obi accused the government of reckless borrowing and extravagant spending, citing billions spent on presidential jets, luxury cars, and a N21 billion renovation of the vice president’s residence—more than the combined capital budgets of six major federal university teaching hospitals.
“This government taxes struggling citizens and small businesses heavily, while indulging in extravagance,” he said.
He called on leaders to rise above personal interest, corruption, and division. “We must embrace a new Nigeria where leadership is defined by competence, compassion, and commitment,” he said.
Despite his searing criticism, Obi urged Nigerians not to despair. “Nigeria’s potential for greatness remains. Against all odds, we will return Nigeria to the path of prosperity and justice. The mission is clear: Nigeria will rise again,” he said.
His criticisms echoed those of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which also marked Independence Day with a blistering assessment of the administration. Addressing a press conference in Abuja, ADC National Publicity Secretary Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi said Nigeria was “staggering under the failures of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC).”
“At 65, our nation faces an acute convergence of crises: economic hardship, spiralling insecurity, and a growing loss of public faith in government,” Abdullahi said. He argued that the promise of “renewed hope” had given way to widespread disillusionment, with reforms compounding inflation, crushing purchasing power, and triggering “a wave of social pain the government has failed to cushion.”
The ADC accused the administration of failing to articulate a comprehensive security strategy, saying citizens were left to fend for themselves amid a fractured and under-resourced security system.
The party also described the APC government as elitist and disconnected from everyday realities.
