Former presidential candidate and Labour Party stalwart Peter Obi today delivered a scathing critique of Nigeria’s governance, linking the country’s spiraling insecurity to decades of neglect and poverty. Obi’s statement calls for a radical rethink of national priorities, urging leaders to invest in human development rather than rely on military solutions.
Obi, who has consistently championed social equity, argued that the criminality gripping Nigeria—ranging from banditry to insurgency—is no accident. “It is the cumulative outcome of misplaced priorities, poor governance, mismanagement of public resources, monumental corruption, and systemic neglect,” he wrote. Citing stark statistics, he noted that nearly 100 million Nigerians live in extreme poverty, while over 140 million face multidimensional poverty, according to the 2022 National Bureau of Statistics.
The former Anambra State Governor found an unlikely ally in General Christopher Musa, the Chief of Defence Staff, who recently told Al Jazeera in 2025 that addressing poverty, unemployment, and lack of education is critical to tackling insecurity. “You cannot fight insecurity with bullets alone,” Musa said, a sentiment echoed by a 2023 World Bank report linking 40% of Nigeria’s population to extreme poverty and heightened crime rates.
Obi drew on the wisdom of Mallam Aminu Kano, the 1960s political icon whose philosophy, as analyzed in the International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Review, warned that abandoning the masses breeds unrest—a prophecy fulfilled in today’s Nigeria.
He also invoked Mother Teresa’s words: “When a poor person dies of hunger, it has not happened because God did not take care of him or her. It has happened because neither you nor I wanted to give that person what he or she needed.” This aligns with a 2019 Lancet study, which attributes hunger-related deaths to systemic failures rather than individual shortcomings.
Rejecting “business as usual,” Obi proposed a strategic shift toward education, healthcare, and agriculture as pillars of national security. “Every naira we invest in people today is one less bullet we need to fire tomorrow,” he declared, framing these investments as a path to a “new Nigeria.” His vision challenges the government’s focus on high-profile infrastructure projects, which he dismissed as lacking “soul or purpose.”
