Strengthening Democracy Through Inclusive Voter Registration
Yesterday, after attending the graduation ceremony of the Millennium College of Nursing Sciences in Awka, I visited an INEC Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) Centre in Enugu.
I was pleased to witness an orderly and well-organised registration process. I also met a number of people patiently queuing to register, demonstrating their commitment to participating in our democracy. I commend the INEC staff for their dedication and professionalism.
I, however, urge INEC to extend the Continuous Voter Registration exercise to at least 90 days before the General Elections to give more eligible Nigerians the opportunity to register and participate in the electoral process.
A New Nigeria is POssible. -PO
Peter Obi is now being used as an example in Ghana 🇬🇭, yet some Nigerians continue to disrespect him because of the “see finish” mentality. It’s truly heartbreaking.
The Mission Hospital That Keeps Hope Alive
I left Enugu early this morning for Ogoja/Yala Local Government Area of Cross River State.
My first stop was the Catholic Maternity Hospital, Moniaya, Ogoja.
This decades-old facility remains virtually the only maternity hospital serving the entire Ogoja area.
Despite its age and the enormous responsibility it bears, it continues to provide care for thousands of women and newborns with limited resources.
Nigeria still ranks among the countries with the highest maternal and infant mortality rates in the world, despite having overtaken countries such as China and India, whose populations are several times larger than ours. This is not just a statistic; it represents mothers, babies, and families whose lives are forever changed by preventable tragedies.
The hospital also operates a Tuberculosis and Leprosy Centre, providing vital healthcare services that are becoming increasingly rare.
To support their commendable work, I made a token donation of ₦10 million and assured them of my continued partnership.
I urge governments at all levels, the private sector, and well-meaning Nigerians to support institutions like this, run by voluntary and faith-based organisations. Investing in healthcare and education is investing in our future. -PO
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CORBON CAPACITY BUILDING WORKSHOP on MANAGING HEALTH & SAFETY RISKS ON CONSTRUCTION SITES.
CORBON requests those interested in attending the online workshop to make payment on https://t.co/4Heb6jymHx (Please note that login is not required) and select MCPDP fee.
I have now had an opportunity to read the 18 page judgment of Isa Dashen, judge of @FederalHigh in Lokoja, in the case concerning the registration & logo of #NDC.
The application before the court asked for 2 orders. The 1st was an order for an extension of time within which the applicants could apply to set aside the judgment of 10 Dec 2025.
The 2nd was an order setting aside the judgment. The 2nd prayer was contingent on the 1st being granted.
In the event, the judge proceeded to consider & quickly grant the 2nd prayer without at all considering the 1st. In other words, the court did not consider the question whether or not to extend the time within which the applicants could apply for the order that he issued with such alactrity & perfunctoriness
I am wondering: without considering that underlying/first application for extension of time, to whom did the court grant the order on the 2nd prayer?
I am struck that the 1st 4 letters of the name of the presiding judge spell "dash". Was the name of the presiding judge a predictor of what transpired?
Delighted to Return to School of Nursing Sciences, Emekuku, Owerri, Imo State.
In continuation of my itinerant visits to educational and healthcare institutions in the country, yesterday, I visited the School of Nursing Sciences, Holy Rosary Hospital, Emekuku, where I met with the management, staff, and students, and presented a donation of ₦15 million to the institution.
I reminded the students that the world needs them more than they need the world because healthcare is one of humanity’s most fundamental needs. Any nation that truly desires development must invest in the education and training of healthcare professionals, who remain indispensable to the well-being and productivity of society.
I was delighted to inspect the computer laboratory, which I had previously supported, and to witness the remarkable progress the institution has made. It was also encouraging to reflect on other health institutions, such as Iyi-Enu and Borromeo, which I supported over the years and which have now grown into teaching hospitals. Their transformation reinforces my belief that sustained investments in health and education can produce enduring results. I look forward to seeing Holy Rosary Hospital attain the same status.
Our vision must be to build a Nigeria where functional institutions produce competent professionals, where investments are directed to critical sectors that lift people out of poverty, and where every child, regardless of background, has the opportunity to succeed. That is how we will build a nation where the son of nobody can become somebody without knowing anybody.
A New Nigeria is POssible. -PO
My Stance on Road Development
There is a pertinent reason I have consistently advocated that we should refrain from initiating new road construction projects until we have thoroughly rehabilitated and maintained our existing road network. Instead of undertaking new ventures and dualization projects that offer marginal benefits, our primary focus ought to be on repairing the critical roads already in place.
Consider, for instance, the Asaba–Benin Road. This thoroughfare is a vital artery within Nigeria's transportation infrastructure. Travellers traversing from Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Rivers, Imo, Ebonyi, Cross River, Abia, Enugu, and portions of Benue and Kogi States to Lagos are compelled to utilise this route.
Despite its significance, substantial sections of this road are in a lamentable condition. It has become a major impediment, precipitating persistent traffic congestion and inflicting undue hardship on travellers, businesses, and transport operators.
Regrettably, this situation is not unique; it reflects the reality on many of our busiest national highways.
Our efforts should be directed towards the reconstruction and maintenance of our current road infrastructure before we announce plans for new road projects. The Nigerian populace requires functional and motorable roads, not merely projects that garner public attention.
Efforts aimed at superficial improvements for political gain should not supersede the urgent need to address the condition of our existing, critical roadways.
A new Nigeria is POssible. -PO
A legislature that cannot say no is not a legislature at all. A legislature which simply receives executive proposals, approves them without scrutiny, and goes home has not fulfilled its constitutional mandate.
— Bukola Saraki, former Senate president
#June12
Peter Obi - It is wrong to settle the bill of a drunk while he is still at the bar, he has to come out of the bar first before you settle what he has drunk before.
Peter Obi's talk at the Platform is still one of the greatest political talks to date. >>>>>>>>>
OF FREEDOM AND DEVELOPMENT
Being the Text of the 2026 Democracy Day Speech by Governor Alex C. Otti, OFR, on Friday, June 12, 2026
1. The most appealing promise of democracy is the allowance for plurality of opinions, the freedom to interrogate ideas and the opportunity for periodic reflection. This day presents to us, members of the Nigerian community, a special invitation to evaluate our pace on the democratic track, interrogate assumption and estimate our measure of progress on 2 fronts, first, since the dawn of the Fourth Republic in May 1999 and more importantly, over the last 33 years following the annulment of the 1993 presidential election won by Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, GCFR. The point of looking back is not to cast blames or point fingers for subpar outcomes but to shape behaviour and reset priorities. Millions of our compatriots are disillusioned, the gulf between the pre-1993 expectations and the lived experiences of many is widening and as I said on this day 12 months ago, it would be uncharitable to dismiss the legitimate concerns of the men and women who bear the brunt of these contradictions. Even then, we shall be removing ourselves from the promises of the future if only we stay fixated on the frustrations of the present. Yes, a lot may have gone wrong but there is still so much to fight for — for ourselves and those coming after.
2. The years between 1993 and 1999 were defined by the courage and resilience of our compatriots who made very difficult sacrifices to remove Nigeria from the shackles of military dictatorship; they held nothing back, not even their lives. A great price was paid to restore democracy to this land. It then follows that we have to regularly remind ourselves that the rights, freedom and privileges we enjoy today are borne from the toil and tears of thousands of men and women who refused to give in to the threats and shenanigans of military dictatorship. Many of the warriors who fought through multiple trenches to defeat the terror of leadership by the barrel of the gun are no longer with us but in their passing, they left us eternal lessons in courage, patriotism and faith. It is fitting that a day like this is set aside to honour the memories of these brave patriots and fighters and to remind all of us, the living, that the struggle for freedom and development remains unfinished.
3. Many of us have lived through the setbacks and disappointments of the Fourth Republic but it would be defeatist to give in to the cynicism of the hour; agreed that we could have done a lot better on several critical development frontlines, with particular respect to the welfare and security of the population, I, however, do not share the pessimism of those who insist that it has been all doom and gloom. Even then, it is important to make it clear that it is not democracy that has failed, we have only been let down by the errors in our independent and collective decisions. The blame for the disappointments of the post-1999 years belongs entirely to us, as leaders and citizens, not to democracy or its foundational principles. Those who came ahead of us were unyielding in their conviction that democracy is the only genuine vehicle for national development and millions of us today still hold strongly to the same idea but as I had said before, the advantage of democracy itself is the freedom to interrogate even the assumptions that we hold most dearly. As we mark the 2026 Democracy Day celebration, we are duty-bound to rethink our disposition to the ideals and values that sustained the pro-democracy efforts of the last decade of the 20th century here in Nigeria.