Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, has declared that Nigeria is in a state of severe decline, stressing that no level of political defence can hide the suffering experienced by millions across the country.
Obi made the statement on Wednesday while addressing members of the Labour Party’s National Executive Council (NEC) during an emergency meeting in Abuja.
He urged party members to summon the courage to speak the truth, even in the face of intimidation.
“Do not fear anybody. Those who feared yesterday had not done it better. We must speak when things are wrong,” Obi said.
The former Anambra State governor painted a bleak picture of Nigeria’s economic reality, sharing personal encounters that reflect the growing hardship.
According to him, individuals who once lived comfortably are now turning to public begging to survive.
“Nigeria is collapsing. Anybody can say anything. The numbers are clear. The indices are clear, very clear—more and more people are poorer,” he asserted.
“If you want, go to your village. The people who are begging now are people who used to feed. But they are no longer having and now begging,” Obi added.
He described scenes at a hotel in Abuja, where in the past he was welcomed with food and drinks, but now meets people who are stranded and unable to afford a return trip home.
“Even in this hotel, every time I enter this hotel now, I see people who are telling me, ‘Oga, I just came to Abuja and I can’t go back’.
“This is the same hotel where I used to come and people would be asking me, ‘Will you drink? Come and eat, come and do this.’ Nobody’s offering me anything again.
“That shows how bad it is. When you now see somebody in Agbada telling you, ‘I can’t go back’,” he said.
Obi called on the party to stand united and push for national reforms. “Let us know that things are difficult, things are bad. It is time for all of us to come together.
“I thank those of you who are doing very well, and let us stand together and ensure that the right things are done,” he concluded.