Former Anambra State Governor and presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has raised concerns over the plight of Nigerians displaced from their communities by insecurity and forced to live in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps.

Obi made the remarks in an Independence Day post shared on his official X account as Nigeria marks its 66th anniversary.

READ MORE: Nigeria@66: Tinubu Has Plunged Nigeria Into Its Worst Cost-of-Living Crisis – Atiku Slams Tinubu

The NDC presidential candidate said he recently visited Sokoto State alongside Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, where they held consultations on insecurity, out-of-school children, poverty, youth unemployment, drug abuse and other challenges confronting residents.

According to Obi, their visit to the Internally Displaced Persons camp at Ramin Kura within Sokoto metropolis was particularly troubling.

He said thousands of women and children were living in deplorable conditions after being displaced from their homes and deprived of basic necessities.

“Many of the children have no access to education. Mothers and children have limited access to basic healthcare,” Obi said.

He questioned why Nigerians who should be living in their communities, attending school, farming their land, running businesses and contributing to the economy are instead living in displacement camps.

“These are Nigerians who should be living in their communities, going to school, farming their land, conducting their businesses and contributing to the economy. Instead, they live as displaced persons in their own country,” he said.

Obi said the situation reflects some of the broader challenges confronting Nigeria, including insecurity, poverty, lack of access to education and inadequate healthcare.

He argued that Independence Day should provide an opportunity for honest national reflection and for Nigerians to examine whether the country is moving in the direction envisioned by its founding fathers.

The former Anambra governor said Nigeria remains richly endowed with human and natural resources, but stressed that the country must convert those resources into human development, security, productivity and shared prosperity.

Former Anambra State Governor and presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has asked Nigerians to reflect on the country’s challenges as Nigeria marks its 66th Independence anniversary.

Obi raised the question in an Independence Day post shared on his official X account on Thursday, October 1, 2026.

He said the anniversary should not be reduced to celebration, but should also serve as an opportunity for Nigerians to examine the country’s progress and consider whether it is moving in the direction envisioned by its founding fathers.

SEE ALSO: ‘After Three Years of Your Treatment, Why Is It Harder to Buy Food?’ — Atiku to Tinubu

According to Obi, every serious nation must continually ask three questions: “Where are we today? Where do we want to be? How do we get from where we are to where we want to be?”

He argued that despite the promises made by the APC-led government in 2023, Nigeria continues to face serious challenges across critical sectors, including poverty, insecurity, education, unemployment, food security and healthcare.

Obi cited figures which he said showed that more than 140 million Nigerians are living in poverty and severe hardship, while more than 18 million children are out of school.

He also highlighted insecurity, youth unemployment, drug abuse, food insecurity, maternal and infant mortality and low life expectancy as major concerns confronting the country.

Reflecting on the situation, Obi asked: “Are we cursed, or have we become the curse through the choices we have made and the failures we have tolerated?”

He rejected the suggestion that Nigeria is cursed, stressing that the country remains richly endowed with human and natural resources.

“The answer cannot be that Nigeria is cursed. We are a nation immensely endowed and blessed,” he wrote.

According to Obi, Nigeria’s major challenge is not a lack of resources but the failure to convert its resources into human development, productivity, security and shared prosperity.

He also referenced his recent visit to Sokoto State with Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, where they consulted with residents on insecurity, poverty, out-of-school children, youth unemployment and drug abuse.

Obi said their visit to an Internally Displaced Persons camp at Ramin Kura in Sokoto metropolis was particularly troubling, noting the difficult conditions faced by displaced women and children.

“These are Nigerians who should be living in their communities, going to school, farming their land, conducting their businesses and contributing to the economy. Instead, they live as displaced persons in their own country,” he said.

Former Vice President and 2027 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has challenged President Bola Tinubu over the worsening cost of living, asking why Nigerians are finding it increasingly difficult to afford food after three years of his administration.

Atiku made the remarks in his Independence Day state-of-the-nation addresson Thursday while responding to Tinubu’s national broadcast marking Nigeria’s 66th Independence anniversary.

Tinubu had described Nigeria as a patient undergoing painful treatment, while declaring that the country had moved beyond the emergency phase and entered an “age of prosperity.”

SEE ALSO: Nigeria@66: Tinubu Has Plunged Nigeria Into Its Worst Cost-of-Living Crisis – Atiku Slams Tinubu

But Atiku questioned the impact of the reforms on ordinary Nigerians.
“Bola, where is the prosperity?” Atiku asked.

He said a president could announce a new chapter in a speech, but could not simply announce food onto a family’s table or money into a worker’s pocket.

“Bola, you call Nigeria a patient with cancer. After three years of your treatment, why is it harder for Nigerians to buy food, pay for medicine, or even get to work?” he asked.

Atiku also questioned why government revenues could rise while Nigerians’ purchasing power continued to decline.

“Why does your government have more money while the people can afford less?” he asked.

The ADC presidential candidate further argued that a slower rise in prices does not restore the purchasing power families have already lost, while economic growth and rising exports must translate into improved living conditions.

He also criticised the removal of fuel subsidy, saying it was implemented without adequate protection for families who would bear the consequences.

According to Atiku, the policy contributed to higher petrol and transportation costs, which subsequently affected the cost of moving food and other goods.

“Three years later, the pain has an address in every home. Bola Tinubu, where is the benefit?” he asked.

Atiku also raised concerns over insecurity, saying armed groups had killed thousands and displaced families, while farmers, parents and other Nigerians continued to live with fear.

He nevertheless urged Nigerians not to surrender to despair, saying the country still had a path to recovery.

“Despair is not a strategy. We have a path to recovery, and we must take it,” he said.