NEWS
Nigeria’s Democracy In Crisis, Destiny Uncertain, Says Peter Obi
Mr. Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the last general election on February 25, has expressed his concern about the state of the nation’s democracy.
According to him, the democracy is facing significant challenges, and he believes that the destiny of the country is currently uncertain and precarious.
He disclosed this via his Twitter handle on Sunday evening before the commemoration of “June 12 Democracy Day” in Nigeria.
Mr. Peter Obi expressed his regret over the current state of affairs in the country, highlighting that the foundational pillars of democracy are being undermined by widespread impunity, pervasive violence, and alarming levels of bloodshed.
The tweet reads “June 12 is marked in our dear country as Democracy Day . It is a historic day that deserves to be celebrated. On that day in 1993, we the people of Nigeria stated our unreserved preference for true democracy.
“Though under military rule, we freely chose a transparent voting method. Our votes reflected our true choice as a people. Our choice on that day defied divisions of ethnicity, religion and region. It is these qualities that added up to make June 12 special in our search for true democracy.
“Our collective choice of late Chief M. K.O AbIola as a worthy leader for nation was saluted by Nigerians and governments and peoples across the world. Therefore, June 12 underpins our long collective journey to nationhood as a true democracy.
“Our collective choice of late Chief M. K.O AbIola as a worthy leader for nation was saluted by Nigerians and governments and peoples across the world. Therefore, June 12 underpins our long collective journey to nationhood as a true democracy.
“However, the current state of our politics tells a different story . Our democracy is deeply troubled while our nation’s destiny remains uncertain and precarious. We remain a nation in search of solutions to too many basic problems.
“One of these is the search for a credible electoral system that would command the trust, confidence and belief of ALL Nigerians just like June 12 did. We should, therefore, use the commemoration of June 12 as an occasion to return to the true virtues of a truly democratic nation.
“We achieved that feat on June 12, 1993. In the spirit of June 12, therefore, we need to emplace an electoral system that commands the trust of the people. This is in recognition of the tenets and core values of democracy, which rests on respect for the wishes of the people as expressed in their ballots.
“Above all, government must respect and protect the institutions of the democratic state by respecting the social contract with the people by meeting their needs, obeying their wishes and fulfilling the responsibilities of responsible governance as contained in the constitution. A cardinal responsibility of government in this regard is respect for the rule off law.
“Regrettably, we are now in an era where these foundational pillars of democracy are undermined by prevalent impunity and pervasive violence and bloodletting. The trust deficit between the leaders and Nigerians continues to expand.
“The deficits of trust and efficiency in our last elections demonstrate this malady quite boldly. The challenge of June 12 and a dedicated Democracy Day is to inspire us to correct the errors of our recent elections.
“This is the surest way to restore the confidence of our people in the future of our nation and the promise of true democracy. I however urge us all not to lose faith in the inbuilt design of our democratic system to self-correct.
“Personally, I remain committed and convinced that a New Nigeria is POssible. Our aspiration for a nation of equity, justice, security and peace can hardly be utopia. We are a nation blessed richly with human and natural resources.
“What we lack, are selfless leaders who are committed to national interest, sustainable development and innovative thinking that offers every Nigerian irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social strata, the freedom of choice of abode, and protection lives, property and ordered liberties.
“These aspirations are real and achievable; and I hereby reiterate my promise to Nigerians that we will not relent in our fight to bring about a leadership that will accord them the priority they deserve.
“Let me, therefore, on behalf of Labour Party (LP) and the Obidient Movement across the globe wish all Nigerians a happy democracy day. -PO.” The tweet added
The President of the African School of Governance, Kingsley Chiedu Moghalu has admonished state actors against resorting to brutal force in the bid to muscle out separatist agitators.
In the aftermath of Mazi Simon Ekpa, the Finland based Biafran nationalist agitator being caught in legal web and the Nigerian government moving swiftly to seek his repatriation, the former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has cautioned that ‘We either fix our problems, or our problems will eventually “fix” us. No alternative to a renegotiated union.’
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The political economist, while expressing his hope in Nigeria, made it clear that “hope is not a strategy”.
He bared his mind in a series of posts on his verified handle on micro-blogging site, X on Friday.
Moghalu wrote, “Despite sustained contemporary difficulties, I am hopeful about Nigeria. But hope is not a strategy. We need to improve state capacity for effective governance.
“We either fix our problems, or our problems will eventually “fix” us. No alternative to a renegotiated union.
“We must learn to be honest with ourselves and address the root causes of our problems. Why ignore them, when the problem is actually quite solvable? The problem with continuing with this approach is that when the danger crystallizes, those who thought they were benefiting from
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has criticized the federal government’s plan to secure an additional N1.7 trillion loan through Eurobonds to cover a shortfall in the 2024 budget, describing the borrowing as unsustainable and harmful to Nigeria’s economy.
In a statement shared on Thursday via his X (formerly Twitter) handle, Atiku accused the Bola Tinubu-led administration of burdening Nigerians with debt while failing to provide clear answers about the country’s fiscal challenges.
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He also faulted the National Assembly for enabling what he called a “voracious appetite” for loans.
The former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate expressed alarm over a recent World Bank report ranking Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), calling the development troubling.
“The recent report released by the World Bank, showing Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), is very concerning,” Atiku stated.
He raised further concerns about the government’s decision to benchmark the proposed loan at an exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, despite the Central Bank of Nigeria’s official rate being over N1,600.
“What makes this particular loan proposal even more concerning is that it is benchmarked at the exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, whereas the current exchange rate from the Central Bank of Nigeria stands at over N1,600 to 1 USD,” he said.
Atiku questioned the need for additional borrowing, given the government’s earlier claims of record-high revenue collection.
“In July this year, Tinubu boasted that the FIRS and Customs under his watch had collected all-time high revenues to finance the budget. Why are they still borrowing?” he said
He accused the government of a lack of transparency, describing the borrowing spree as detrimental to Nigerians already struggling under economic hardship.
“There is something that they are not telling Nigerians, even as they are being crushed by a combination of their failed trial-and-error policies and loan rackets.”
Atiku also referenced a report by BudgIT, a budget monitoring group, which criticized the 2024 budget for its inefficiencies.
He alleged that corruption, rather than infrastructure or development needs, was driving the government’s borrowing decisions.
“These loans are powered by corruption and not for infrastructure and development needs. This voracious appetite for humongous loans is deeply concerning,” he said.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s financial history, Atiku lamented the return to significant foreign indebtedness just years after former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration cleared the country’s debt.
“It is agonizing to see that just a few years after the Obasanjo administration took us out of foreign indebtedness, we are today back at the top spot in the same conundrum,” he stated.
He called for a more cautious approach to borrowing, urging the government to prioritize fiscal responsibility and transparency to avoid worsening Nigeria’s economic challenges.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has taken a historic step, issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The charges include crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed during Israel’s recent assault on Gaza.
In a detailed statement, the ICC accused the Israeli leaders of “intentionally and knowingly depriving the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity.”
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The ICC’s move marks a significant escalation in international scrutiny of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Netanyahu and Gallant are alleged to have orchestrated policies that caused severe harm to the civilian population in Gaza, leading to widespread condemnation from human rights organizations.
Alongside the charges against Israeli officials, the ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif. Deif has long been a central figure in Hamas’s military operations. Israel’s military claims to have killed him in a July airstrike, although this has not been independently verified.
The warrants highlight growing calls for accountability amid the ongoing conflict in the region. The ICC’s actions are likely to provoke heated debate and may complicate diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the crisis.
With the warrants issued, global attention now turns to how the international community will respond and whether any practical steps will be taken to enforce them.
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