Former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has declared that Nigeria was “being looted into poverty” by a political elite bent on destroying democratic institutions, warning that the country was drifting dangerously towards national collapse under failed leadership and worsening insecurity.
Mr Obi spoke in Abuja during the first national convention of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, where he accused sections of the political class of abandoning democratic principles in pursuit of power and personal survival.
The former Anambra governor said many politicians who once presented themselves as defenders of democracy had now become “willing accessories to the destruction of democracy itself.”
“Those who once fought for justice now openly celebrate electoral injustice. Those who once spoke against impunity now defend coercion, manipulation, intimidation, and outright political gangsterism, especially against opposition voices,” Mr Obi said.
“What we are witnessing is not politics; it is a systematic assault on democracy and the will of the people.”
The opposition figure, now a chieftain of the NDC, said he attended the convention following the political crisis and ongoing litigation that forced his movement and other allies out of the Labour Party and the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP.
Mr Obi expressed gratitude to the leadership of the NDC led by former Bayelsa governor, Henry Seriake Dickson, for accommodating opposition figures during what he described as a critical moment in Nigeria’s political history.
He also praised former Senate President, David Mark, and the African Democratic Congress, ADC, for providing what he called “a democratic platform” amid the ongoing political uncertainty.
According to him, Nigeria was now at “a dangerous crossroads,” with democratic institutions weakening daily while millions of citizens sink deeper into poverty, unemployment and fear.
“Our democracy is under severe threat. Our nation is drifting without direction, and our people are passing through immense suffering. Across the world, Nigeria is increasingly described as a failing and disgraced nation,” he stated.
The former presidential candidate painted a grim picture of the country’s economic realities, saying over 140 million Nigerians now live in multidimensional poverty while inflation, insecurity and unemployment continue to devastate families and businesses across the country.
“Businesses are shutting down. Farmers can no longer safely access their farms. Communities live in fear. In this month alone, hundreds of innocent Nigerians have lost their lives to insecurity, while many others have been kidnapped, displaced, or thrown deeper into poverty,” he said.
Mr Obi further accused the ruling political elite of deliberately sabotaging the country for selfish interests, insisting that Nigeria’s decline was man-made rather than inevitable.
“Our present tragedy is not accidental. It is the direct consequence of years of deliberate sabotage by a political class that prospers by dividing the people and weakening the nation,” he said.
“Nigeria is not a poor country; rather, we are being looted into poverty.”
Calling for national unity beyond ethnic, religious and political divisions, Mr Obi urged Nigerians to rally around competence, justice and productivity as the pathway to rebuilding the country.
“National unity is no longer optional; it is a national necessity. We must rise above ethnicity, religion, region, and political divisions to recover the soul of our nation,” he declared.
He advocated massive investment in agriculture and manufacturing, particularly in Northern Nigeria, saying the country must urgently transition “from a nation of consumption to a nation of production.”
The opposition leader also said Nigeria’s youth and women had been neglected for too long under successive administrations, insisting that competent and compassionate leadership could still reverse the country’s decline.
“Our youths must no longer be viewed as problems to manage, but as assets to empower. Our women must no longer be neglected, but included as equal partners in nation-building,” Mr Obi stated.
Despite the worsening crisis, the former Labour Party presidential candidate maintained that Nigeria could still recover if citizens unite around transformational leadership and democratic reforms.
“I remain convinced that a new Nigeria is possible, a Nigeria that is united, secure, productive, inclusive, and governed by justice and fairness,” he said.
