Nigeria at 66: Peter Obi Laments Poverty, Insecurity, Says ‘Worst Place to Be Born’

Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has described Nigeria as the “worst place to be born”, citing poverty, insecurity, hunger, unemployment, poor healthcare and the high number of out-of-school children.

Obi made the statement in his Independence Day address on Thursday as Nigeria marked its 66th anniversary, using the occasion to call for an honest assessment of the country’s condition and outline his proposed approach to addressing its challenges.

According to Obi, more than 140 million Nigerians are living in poverty and severe hardship, while more than 18 million children are out of school.

He also raised concerns over insecurity, including terrorism, banditry and kidnapping, saying such threats continue to endanger lives and livelihoods across the country.

On food insecurity, Obi claimed that more than 40 million Nigerians could face extreme hunger by the end of 2026.

He also cited what he described as high levels of youth unemployment and underemployment, putting the affected population at more than 35 million.

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Obi further drew attention to Nigeria’s infant and maternal mortality, drug and substance abuse and life expectancy, arguing that the figures reflected serious challenges in the country’s human development.

“Today, Nigeria is the worst place to be born,” Obi said while highlighting the conditions confronting Nigerian children and young people.

The former Anambra State governor said Nigeria’s difficulties could not be attributed to a lack of resources, describing the country as richly endowed with human and natural resources.

He argued that the central challenge was the failure to convert those resources into human development, productivity, security and shared prosperity.

Obi said his assessment followed a two-day visit to Sokoto State, where he and his running mate, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, held consultations on insecurity, poverty, out-of-school children, youth unemployment and drug abuse.

The delegation also visited an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp at Ramin Kura in Sokoto metropolis, where Obi said thousands of women and children were living after being displaced from their communities.

He said many of the displaced children lacked access to education, while mothers and children faced limited access to basic healthcare.

Obi argued that Nigerians displaced by insecurity should be able to return safely to their communities, resume farming and businesses, and send their children to school.

He said that, if elected president, his administration would make security, education, healthcare and productive enterprise major priorities.

Obi also promised to make governance more measurable and accountable, with the welfare and productivity of citizens at the centre of government policy.

He said his administration would seek to move Nigeria from a consumption-driven economy to a productive economy capable of creating jobs, expanding agriculture and manufacturing, investing in human capital and improving opportunities for young people.

The NDC candidate also pledged to spend his presidential holidays within Nigeria if elected, saying he would use the periods to visit different states, interact with citizens and gain a closer understanding of their challenges.

His address came on the same day President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said Nigeria had moved beyond the most difficult phase of his administration’s economic reforms and was entering what he described as an era of shared and widespread prosperity. Tinubu said the government’s focus was now on lowering the cost of living, expanding production, creating jobs and improving opportunities.

Obi’s Independence Day message presented a contrasting assessment of Nigeria’s current condition, with the opposition candidate focusing on poverty, insecurity and social indicators while proposing a shift towards greater productivity, accountability and human development.

He ended his address by urging Nigerians not to lose hope, saying a new Nigeria was possible through accountable leadership, responsible citizenship and a stronger focus on the welfare of citizens.

Nigeria at 66: Peter Obi Laments Poverty, Insecurity, Says ‘Worst Place to Be Born’

2027: Amaechi Vows to Resign If Nigeria Fails to Change Within One Year

African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate Rotimi Amaechi has pledged to resign if Nigeria fails to begin changing within one year of an ADC administration taking office after the 2027 presidential election.

Amaechi, who is the running mate to ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, made the statement during an interview with Africa Independent Television (AIT) on Wednesday.

He said an ADC government would focus on tackling insecurity, economic hardship and corruption, which he identified as major obstacles to national development.

“You must deal with insecurity, economy, and corruption before this country can progress,” Amaechi said, arguing that reducing corruption would free resources for addressing the country’s development challenges.

The former Rivers State governor and former Minister of Transportation also criticised the impact of the fuel subsidy removal, questioning whether Nigerians were receiving sufficient benefits from the policy.

Amaechi attributed some of the country’s difficulties to what he described as the diversion of public resources into private hands.

He also raised concerns about poverty and hunger in Nigeria, contrasting the hardship experienced by many citizens with what he described as lavish private spending in some quarters.

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According to Amaechi, Nigeria’s dependence on imported finished products is another indication of the country’s economic challenges. He claimed that the country imports more than 46 per cent of finished goods.

“Nigeria is in trouble,” he said.

Amaechi further criticised the level of dissatisfaction with the government, referring to reports of people booing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during a recent movement from Lagos airport to his residence.

He said an ADC government would instead seek to deliver changes that would improve public confidence.

“If Nigeria does not change one year after we get into office, come to me and I will resign,” Amaechi said.

The pledge comes as political parties intensify preparations for the 2027 general election, with the ADC positioning the Atiku-Amaechi ticket as part of the opposition coalition challenging the governing All Progressives Congress (APC).

Amaechi has in recent days also called for stronger grassroots mobilisation by ADC members ahead of the election. At the party’s National Women’s League Conference in Abuja, he urged supporters to work at ward and state levels, stressing the importance of grassroots votes to the party’s electoral plans.

The former governor had previously made a separate resignation pledge while seeking the ADC presidential ticket, saying he would quit if he failed to eliminate corruption within his first month in office. That earlier commitment was made when he was still pursuing the party’s presidential nomination, before he became Atiku’s running mate.

His latest statement, however, is specifically tied to the performance of a potential ADC government during its first year in office.

For now, the one-year resignation pledge remains a political commitment made by Amaechi; any future resignation would depend on the circumstances and constitutional processes applicable to a serving vice-president.

2027: Amaechi Vows to Resign If Nigeria Fails to Change Within One Year

2027: Amaechi Recalls How APC Defeated PDP, Orders ADC Mobilisation

Vice-presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Rotimi Amaechi, has announced plans to return to Rivers State as he urged party leaders and supporters to intensify grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general election.

Amaechi, a former Rivers State governor and former Minister of Transportation, made the remarks on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at the ADC National Women League Conference in Abuja.

He called on ADC members outside the Federal Capital Territory to return to their respective states, local government areas and wards and build support for the party ahead of the election.

“Me, I am going on Wednesday,” Amaechi told the gathering, adding that he would also campaign in Kebbi, Yola, Rivers and Delta as part of efforts to support the party’s candidates at both the presidential and governorship levels.

Amaechi said the ADC would need sustained grassroots engagement to compete effectively in the 2027 election, arguing that presidential campaigns should not be concentrated in Abuja.

He also recalled the 2015 presidential election, when the APC defeated the then-ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and attributed part of that victory to extensive mobilisation of women across communities.

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According to Amaechi, the APC campaign at the time involved taking its message directly to women in different states and encouraging them to turn out and vote. He urged ADC women to adopt a similar grassroots approach ahead of 2027.

His comments came as the ADC steps up mobilisation ahead of the presidential contest, with opposition politicians and groups also holding consultations on possible cooperation.

Amaechi further told ADC leaders that a victory for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027 could push some opposition leaders out of active politics. He described the possibility as a reason for party members to intensify their efforts at ward level.

The former Rivers governor also linked his mobilisation campaign to economic concerns, citing the cost of living, poverty and access to education. He made claims about the number of out-of-school children and Nigerians falling into poverty, though those figures were presented as part of his political argument and were not independently established in the reports reviewed.

At the conference, Hajiya Titi Atiku Abubakar, wife of ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, also called on women to participate actively in the party’s grassroots campaign.

She highlighted rising household expenses, including the cost of medicines and education, and urged women to take the ADC’s campaign message to communities across the country.

The mobilisation drive comes amid broader opposition coalition discussions ahead of the 2027 election, with political parties and groups exploring possible strategies for cooperation and coordination.

Amaechi’s planned return to Rivers is particularly significant because of his political history in the state, where he served as governor from 2007 to 2015 before becoming Minister of Transportation under the APC administration.

2027: Amaechi Recalls How APC Defeated PDP, Orders ADC Mobilisation