Former Anambra State Governor and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has strongly criticized the All Progressives Congress (APC), declaring that the party’s governance has dragged Nigeria backwards and eroded much of the promise the country once held.
Speaking in Abuja at a press briefing on the nation’s condition, Obi argued that since independence in 1960, Nigeria was positioned to become a leading power in Africa and beyond. However, he said that under APC’s leadership in the past decade, the nation has sunk deeper into poverty, insecurity, and debt due to what he described as incompetence, divisiveness, and corruption.
Obi pointed out that more than 15 million Nigerians were pushed below the poverty line during APC’s first year in power, with citizens facing an increased tax burden despite the lack of basic services.
He also noted that Nigeria’s total debt has risen to about N175 trillion, almost half of the country’s GDP, with little progress in the productive sectors to justify such borrowing.
He lamented that Nigeria has fallen to the fourth-largest economy in Africa, behind South Africa, Egypt, and Algeria, while over 150 million citizens lack access to essential services such as healthcare, education, water, and sanitation.
He further criticized government spending priorities, citing expenditures on luxury items such as jets and yachts while critical sectors are neglected.
Obi also raised concerns about worsening insecurity, describing a leadership vacuum that has left citizens vulnerable to violence and kidnappings, with families often forced to pay large sums as ransom.
Despite these criticisms, the Labour Party leader expressed optimism that Nigeria can still recover if it embraces leadership that is competent, compassionate, and people-centered.
He urged an end to what he described as a leadership culture that enriches a few at the expense of many, insisting that a new politics of prosperity must be embraced to restore hope and progress.
