Labour Party leader Peter Obi on Tuesday endorsed US President Donald Trump’s recent description of Nigeria as a “now disgraced nation,” citing a wave of kidnappings, the killing of a senior military officer and escalating political sabotage as proof that the country is in free fall under the current administration.
In a strongly worded statement, Obi wrote: “A few weeks ago, when President Trump described our country as ‘now disgraced,’ many were outraged. Yet, how can we dispute it when, within a single week, 25 people were kidnapped, and one of our generals along with other officers was killed? Today, we witness another troubling terror attack in Kwara State.”
He accused the government of deliberately fuelling opposition crises instead of tackling insecurity, declaring: “Look closely at what is happening in the PDP, the Labour Party, SDP, and other political formations — crises deliberately orchestrated by a government that should be embracing everyone so we can unite in this troubling period.”
Contrasting the present with the past, Obi recalled: “Under President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, during an internal crisis in my then-political party, he instructed the INEC Chairman, Professor Maurice Iwu, that the stability of every political party — not just the ruling party — was essential for democracy. No party was to be undermined.”
Obi warned: “What we witness today is the opposite. The current government seems more intent on weakening parties than strengthening our democracy — seeking to fragment the PDP, Labour Party, SDP, and others.”
Ending on a defiant note, he insisted: “In democratic nations, opposition is respected, elections reflect the will of the people, and governance involves carrying everyone along for peace and prosperity. A New Nigeria is POssible.”
The statement, released amid fresh bandit attacks and the ongoing PDP secretariat standoff, has been widely interpreted as Obi’s clearest signal yet of readiness to challenge President Bola Tinubu again in 2027.
