Peter Obi’s call to set aside “primordial sentiments” reflects his stance on moving beyond ethnic, religious, or regional biases when choosing leaders. By emphasizing competence and capability, he’s urging Nigerians to prioritize qualities such as integrity, experience, and dedication over identity-based preferences.
Again, yesterday the now regular news came that the National Grid had collapsed once again.
Just a few days ago, on the 25th of October, South Africa that was the second-largest economy in Africa behind Nigeria until recently, with a quarter of our population, celebrated seven months of uninterrupted power supply. South Africa generates and distributes about 40,000 MW of electricity, while Nigeria struggles to generate and distribute just 10% of that. Yet, despite this stark disparity, Nigerians continue to endure daily power outages.
And when I ask the question: is there any tribe in Nigeria that enjoys uninterrupted power supply like South Africa? I am labelled a tribal bigot. When I ask if any religion enjoys special privileges in this crisis, I am called a religious bigot. But I will continue to speak the truth about our situation today.
The fact remains that we are all suffering equally from this failure. The solution lies not in tribal or religious affiliations but in visionary leadership and a shared commitment to progress.
We must set aside these primordial sentiments and elect leaders who are competent, capable, and have the vision to transform our nation from a consumer-driven economy to a productive one by investing our meager resources in critical areas of development like health and education, lifting our people out of poverty, and ensuring increased electricity production and distribution.
A new Nigeria is POssible!
-PO
This perspective aligns with his advocacy for a governance model that addresses critical issues, like transparent spending and accountable leadership, essential for meaningful development across Nigeria. Obi’s remarks often resonate with citizens hoping for a government focused on public welfare rather than narrow interests.
