Peter Obi blames rising violence on leadership failure, Says Nigeria “bleeding” under indifferent leaders

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has said that the rising wave of violence across the country is a direct result of leadership failure.

He stressed that no serious nation can survive on excuses, indifference, or absentee leadership.

Obi made the remarks after reviewing the nationwide security situation over the past 10 days in a post on his X handle titled, “Is Nigeria cursed, or are we the curse?”

The former Anambra State governor lamented that Nigeria has witnessed “unprecedented negative news, chaos, insecurity, and institutional decay” in recent days, which he said should trouble the conscience of every leader.

“Our country is now going through troubling times, not by fate, but by our collective leadership failures that allow insecurity, lawlessness, and institutional decay to thrive,” he said. “Each day confronts us with a new tragedy and a new reminder that our beloved country is drifting amid a clear absence of competent, compassionate, responsive and responsible leadership. We have all watched a nation blessed with people of strength and resilience drift into avoidable disorder. We should be asking ourselves: Are we cursed, or are we the curse?”

He cited several disturbing incidents that occurred in the past 10 days, including the kidnapping of six senior directors from the Ministry of Defence along the Kogi axis — a development he said shows that even those responsible for national security are no longer safe. He also referred to the killing of a Brigadier General by terrorists and the abduction of over 400 people, including 300 school children, during separate attacks across the country.

Obi also expressed concern over the conduct of judges at the All Nigeria Judges’ Conference, where they were seen singing the APC anthem “On Your Mandate We Shall Stand” before the President’s address. He described the act as damaging to public trust in the judiciary and the rule of law.

“As I was speaking about this, I received yet another devastating report about the abduction of 13 female farmers in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State by suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists,” he added.

The LP standard-bearer condemned what he called the growing indifference of leaders to the nation’s worsening security challenges. “No serious nation survives on excuses, indifference, or absentee leadership. What we are witnessing is not inevitable; it is the direct consequence of we the leaders not valuing human life. Nigeria is bleeding because those elected to protect the nation have chosen comfort over courage, politics over people, and power over purpose,” he stated.

He urged leaders to remember that governance is not a title but a duty to protect the lives of citizens with competence and compassion.

According to him, Nigeria deserves peace, safety, and a government that values human lives above politics.