Peter Obi, the Labour Party‘s presidential candidate for the 2023 elections, has stated that it is time for Nigerians to reexamine their national assumptions.
He added that he agreed with Nigerians who despised the nation’s current deplorable circumstances but maintained optimism for a brighter Nigeria.
Peter Obi made this remark yesterday to commemorate the presidential inauguration on May 29, 2023. It was headed “At a Time Like This: My Message to Fellow Nigerians.”
As a time for in-depth introspection, he suggested that we “re-examine our assumptions, even as we reaffirm our ambitions, review our aspirations, reset our expectations, and nail down the causes of our missed chances and disappointments.”
The LP presidential candidate stated that the nation was in a crucial period where “we must come to terms with the truth of our injured destiny as well as the causes of that injury as a people.”
Peter Obi added, “It is on to us to reevaluate our predicament as a fledgling democracy and establish clear avenues to a better and greater future for us all.
According to him, the conduct and results of the most recent general elections demonstrated “the troubled state of our democracy,” where the majority of Nigerian voters and many foreign observers were perplexed by the procedure and the results while a minority, actually a small number of partisans, appeared satisfied.
Peter Obi, however, emphasised that while a sizable majority of stakeholders had raised grave concerns about the inadequacies of the elections, it was not up to anyone to impose laws on others.
As we wait for the election tribunal’s decision, he urged all Nigerians to seize the chance to recommit to the Nigerian ideal and make sure that it continues to be honourable and deserving of all the sacrifices we can make.
Speaking about ongoing court cases involving the contested election, the former governor of Anambra State urged the populace to treat the judiciary with the respect and dignity it deserved, stating that it was an integral part of the democratic process and an important tool for determining the legitimacy of each citizen’s decisions and actions as well as those of state institutions.
“We expect that the Nigerian judiciary will use the election cases now before it to reaffirm its independence and integrity. It has to do so, for all our sakes and for itself.
“Nigerians must, therefore, remain peaceful and law-abiding. No matter the depth of anyone’s reservations about what is going on in the polity today, no matter the real and imagined provocations, and no matter the disagreement out there, we should remember that this will not last forever.
“Like the majority of Nigerians, I reject the present shameful condition of our country. I reject the widespread criminal plundering of our nation’s wealth by those who are called to manage it and serve the people.
“I also reject, without reservations, the growing impression that our nation is one in which the most important requirements for 21st-century nationhood can be routinely violated with impunity,” Peter Obi said.
The LP presidential candidate said he would not join the bandwagon in accepting the idea that people should just flow along, even though everything needed for responsible leadership, equity, sustainable development, and nationhood are missing.”
According to him, “I reject a nation where security, rule of law, and peaceful coexistence are on a steady decline.
“Why should we rank among the worst, globally, in the three most important indices that separate developed and undeveloped nations, namely education, health, and per capita income?
“It is based on the indices regarding our human capital development, primary health care, and general development infrastructure that our beloved country got ranked as the poverty capital of the world.”
He continued by saying that the reason he ran in the February 25 presidential elections was that Nigeria required strong, focused leadership to put a stop to the existing state of affairs.
Obi reaffirmed his dedication, unwavering energy, and determination to work with like-minded Nigerians to break the nation’s curse of lost opportunities and dashed hopes.
While charging Nigerians, especially the youths, to remain steadfast, calm, patient, and peaceful, Peter Obi said: “Our journey may be long and difficult but it is worth it in every way because victory is assured.
“We have to work together to move our beautiful country from corruption and criminality to a centre of productivity, rather than aimless consumption.”
Obi added that he was still aware that terrible plans were being made in the coming months to harm him and his supporters.
“Efforts will be made to taint my image. Campaigns of calumny are being perfected to defame my character and diminish my hard-earned integrity, all aimed at degrading our support base and confusing the public.
“But, no evil campaign will alter the substance of my character; nor diminish my patriotic commitment to a better Nigeria. It is not about me. It is about a better Nigeria. It is about the future of our youths, it is about ending the years of locust.”
Peter Obi thanked his supporters in his party and in the media, stating that the latter had remained a reliable ally as the Fourth Estate of the country.
He urged the media to keep informing the public about the enormous potential of a future in a brand-new Nigeria.