Michael

[Peter Obi @PeterObi]

HAPPY 70TH BIRTHDAY TO MY BROTHER AND FELLOW PARTNER IN SERVICE TO NIGERIA, RABIU MUSA KWANKWASO

As you mark your 70th birthday on October 21, I honour not only an accomplished public servant but also a very dear elder brother and partner whose life has been dedicated to serving our people.

With the passage of time, I have come to deeply appreciate the bond between us, the many conversations we have shared, and the common commitment to Nigeria that continues to shape our service. Your path through the legislature, the Federal Executive Council, the governorship of Kano State, and national public life represents decades of experience, duty, and meaningful engagement with the Nigerian people.

Turning seventy is not merely a significant milestone; it is a moment to look back with gratitude on a life devoted to service, the wisdom gained through experience, and the opportunities that remain ahead.

As we continue to hope for and work toward a better Nigeria, I remain grateful for our partnership and for our shared conviction that our nation can become a place where no child is deprived of opportunity, no family is left in poverty, and every Nigerian can live with dignity, security, and hope.

My dear brother, may God bless you with renewed strength, good health, wisdom, and many more productive years. May the years ahead be filled with peace, fulfilment, and the satisfaction of seeing the values we cherish take firmer root across our nation.

Warmest congratulations on your 70th birthday, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso @KwankwasoRM . I honour you on this special occasion and pray that the chapter ahead will be filled with abundant blessings and many more purposeful years. -PO

[Peter Obi @PeterObi]

After my engagements in Manchester, I honoured another impromptu engagement in Birmingham, UK, with a group of Nigerians having their annual general meeting.

Our discussions centered on achieving our collective purpose of building a New Nigeria that works for all, which is centered on tackling corruption and electing competent leaders with capacity, character, compassion and commitment, to unite, secure, and move the nation from consumption to production.

A New Nigeria is POssible. -PO

[Fox News @FoxNews]

BREAKING: President Trump says that based on what he is hearing right now, "yes," the flydubai co-pilot is linked to Iran, but says officials are still "working on it right now."

@pdoocy asked Trump as he boarded Marine One whether anyone had briefed him on a possible Iran link.

Doocy then clarified, asking whether the IRGC put the co-pilot there or whether he was radicalized some other way. Trump says, "It could have been."

Netanyahu previously said it was too early to tell whether the co-pilot was linked to Iran.

[Fox News @FoxNews]

BREAKING: Saudi Arabia hands the FlyDubai co-pilot accused of stabbing the flight's captain over to the United Arab Emirates as investigators race to determine what triggered the terrifying midair attack.

The Israel-bound plane plunged thousands of feet after the captain was stabbed, before passengers subdued the suspect and other pilots regained control. All 174 people aboard survived.

President Trump is now raising the possibility of an Iran connection, but investigators have not publicly established one. The UAE is also examining whether the attack was linked to terrorism.

[Peter Obi @PeterObi]

Nigeria at 66: Looking Back, Looking Forward

Fellow Nigerians,

Today we mark the sixty-sixth anniversary of our independence. It ought to be a day of celebration and thanksgiving to God Almighty for the gift of life and for the immense blessings He has bestowed on our nation—our diversity, our abundant human and natural resources, our vast agricultural potential, and the relative absence of devastating natural disasters.

It should also be a day of appreciation and patriotism: a day to remember our founding fathers and all those who made selfless, and in many cases supreme, sacrifices for the birth, survival and growth of our dear nation. We must acknowledge the efforts of past and present leaders who have laboured, however imperfectly, to build a better Nigeria.

Yet independence anniversaries must never be reduced to mere celebration. They are moments for honest national reflection. We must look back, examine where we stand today, and ask ourselves whether we are moving in the direction our founding fathers envisioned.

In national planning and strategy, every serious nation must continually ask three fundamental questions:

Where are we today?
Where do we want to be?
How do we get from where we are to where we want to be?

These questions are especially urgent now. Despite the enormous promises made by the APC-led government in 2023, our nation continues to face deepening challenges across virtually every critical sector of national life.

Today we stand before the world as a nation:

With an extraordinarily large population living in poverty and severe hardship; over 140M

With one of the largest populations of out-of-school children in the world; over 18M

Where insecurity, terrorism, banditry and kidnapping continue to threaten lives and livelihoods, just recently 37 young Nigerians in their productive age lost their lives

Where millions of Nigerians struggle with hunger and food insecurity; over 40M Nigerians will be in extreme hunger by the end of 2026.

With unacceptably high rates of infant and maternal mortality; Nigeria today is the worst place to be born.

Where youth unemployment and underemployment remain alarmingly high; over 35M

Where drug abuse and substance misuse increasingly threaten our young population; today 14% as against global average of 6%

Where life expectancy remains among the lowest globally, today 54 years against global average of 74 years

And the list goes on.

This reality demands serious, sober and honest reflection. Socrates taught that “the unexamined life is not worth living.” By the same principle, an unexamined nation cannot successfully chart its future. We must therefore ask ourselves: Are we cursed, or have we become the curse through the choices we have made and the failures we have tolerated?

The answer cannot be that Nigeria is cursed. We are a nation immensely endowed and blessed. Our greatest problem is not a lack of resources; it is the failure to convert our enormous resources into human development, productivity, security and shared prosperity.

Only yesterday, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso and I returned from a two-day visit to Sokoto State. We held extensive consultations with people from different parts of the state on insecurity, out-of-school children, poverty, youth unemployment, drug abuse and other challenges confronting our people.

In concluding the visit, we went to the Internally Displaced Persons camp at Ramin Kura within Sokoto metropolis. What we saw was deeply troubling. Thousands of women and children live in deplorable conditions, displaced from their homes and deprived of the basic necessities of life. Many of the children have no access to education. Mothers and children have limited access to basic healthcare. These are Nigerians who should be living in their communities, going to school, farming their land, conducting their businesses and contributing to the economy. Instead, they live as displaced persons in their own country.

[Rabbi Poupko @RabbiPoupko]

The most accurate political recap of the past 3 years since October 7th.

[Israel Foreign Ministry @IsraelMFA]

This man is a hero.

Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian captain of flydubai Flight 1073, fought back after being stabbed in the cockpit.

Despite being severely injured, he managed to unlock the cockpit door - allowing Israeli passengers and the Emirati crew to intervene and save all the passengers.

Together, their extraordinary courage saved 174 lives.

Indian. Israeli. Emirati.

Different nationalities. One extraordinary act of courage. 🇮🇳🇮🇱🇦🇪

We wish Captain Machchhar a full and speedy recovery.

[NEFERTITI @firstladyship]

Gen Z Nigerians are giving me joy.

Nigeria is in safe hands. 💪👏👏

[oseni rufai @ruffydfire]

Can every Nigerian politician tell us how they made their money like this?

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa]

We are responding to Russia’s daily terrorist strikes – effectively and practically across its entire map. Over the past 24 hours, there have been results in Novorossiysk, in the Krasnodar region. A naval base was hit, including a terminal used to load oil, military port facilities, and warships carrying Kalibr missiles. I thank the warriors of the Security Service of Ukraine, the Unmanned Systems Forces, the Ukrainian Navy, Defense Intelligence, and the State Border Guard Service for their precision. I thank everyone developing our long-range sanctions capabilities, so that Russia’s war is increasingly felt where it came from.

[Peter Obi @PeterObi]

How Hired Thugs Obstructed My Visit to Benue State

Yesterday, I attended the opening of the national campaign office of an opposition presidential candidate, Governor Seyi Makinde in Abuja. My presence was intended to demonstrate that politics can and should be conducted in an atmosphere of mutual respect and civility. As Governor of Anambra State, I made it a point during electioneering to welcome visiting opposition members personally, provided they acted within the ambits of the law.

Guided by that same commitment to decency over partisanship, I travelled to Benue this morning, arriving at approximately 9:00 a.m. on a purely humanitarian mission: to visit the grieving families affected by the horrific killings in Yelwata, where over 270 people were massacred.

Regrettably, our convoy was prevented from proceeding to the community by thugs chanting, “Peter Obi, go back.” It was deeply distressing to witness such hostility. I came to Benue not for partisan politics, but to mourn with our people, to listen to families who have lost loved ones, and to offer comfort at a moment of unimaginable sorrow. That a mission intended purely to show solidarity, compassion, and support could be obstructed in this manner is deeply alarming.

At a time when our nation should be united in grief and resolute in preventing further bloodshed, we must reject any action capable of deepening our divisions. The people of Benue - and all Nigerians - deserve to sleep without fear. They deserve to travel without fear. They deserve to cultivate their land without fear. Above all, they deserve a country where the state places the protection of human life far above political expediency.

Although we were unable to reach the community today, our thoughts and prayers remain steadfastly with the victims, their families, and the entire Yelwata community. We shall continue to work until the primary responsibility of government - the safeguarding of every Nigerian life - is restored. Until then, we cannot truly say we have built the nation our people deserve.

A New Nigeria is POssible. -PO

[Parallel Facts @ParallelFacts]

JUST IN: Tinubu Faces Imprisonment After Leaving Office as FBI, DEA Refuse to Rule Out Criminal Investigations into Heroin-Trafficking Case https://t.co/rbq3J884AY

[Peter Obi @PeterObi]

OSUN STATE: LET THE PEOPLE CHOOSE, LET PEACE PREVAIL

As we approach the upcoming election in Osun State, I wish to draw the attention of Nigerians, our institutions, political actors, the diplomatic community, international observers, and all friends of Nigeria across the world to the solemn responsibility before us.

Osun belongs to its people. Therefore, I call on the Independent National Electoral Commission, security agencies, political parties, candidates, government institutions, civil society organisations, religious and traditional leaders, the media, and every stakeholder to act with the highest degree of neutrality, professionalism, and restraint.

The people of Osun must be allowed to vote freely, safely, and without intimidation. Their votes must be counted transparently, protected faithfully, and announced according to the genuine will of the electorate.

To those within Osun State, I appeal for peace. Do not allow politicians to turn your neighbours, friends, and communities against each other. Do not destroy your state in the name of winning an election. Nigeria is bigger than any candidate, and Osun is greater than any political party.

To those outside Osun- politicians, supporters, influencers, and financiers- I urge you to exercise restraint. Do not import violence, intimidation, or desperation into a state whose people have the constitutional right to choose their leaders peacefully.

To our security agencies, your loyalty must be to Nigeria and the Constitution, not to any political party or individual. Your duty is to protect every voter equally.

To INEC, the credibility of this election must be safeguarded from the preparatory stages to accreditation, voting, collation, and declaration. Every irregularity must be addressed seriously, and every legitimate vote must count.

And to the international community, diplomatic missions, and election observers: please monitor Osun closely. Your presence, vigilance, and principled observation can bolster confidence in our democratic process. Nigeria welcomes genuine partnerships in the protection of democracy, peace, and the rule of law.

Let us remember that democracy is not merely about who wins. Democracy is about whether the people are truly allowed to choose.

Let Osun demonstrate to Nigeria, and indeed the world, that political competition can be intense without degenerating into violence; that disagreement can exist without hatred; and that power can change hands through ballots rather than blood.

Let every vote count. Let every voter be protected. Let every legitimate result be respected. And above all, let peace reign in Osun State.

Nigeria is watching. Africa is watching. The world is watching.

Let us provide them with a democratic process worthy of the Nigerian people.

A new Nigeria is POssible. -PO

[oseni rufai @ruffydfire]

Dear President Since you now give orders to EFcC

Can you tell us other instances/cases you have given the same orders to EFCC

[ARISE NEWS @ARISEtv]

Gbajabiamila demands a public apology within 72 hours from Adeyemi over "fake agency" bribery claims, threatening a N10 billion defamation suit. https://t.co/li5WTF2ZEL

[NEFERTITI @firstladyship]

That Femi Gbajamiabila still has a job, is proof that Nigeria is a country of particular concern.

[Peter Obi @PeterObi]

My Vision for a Productive and Prosperous Nigeria

Today, being the 1st of July, 2026, I wish to humbly recall that when I decided to contest for the office of President of Nigeria, I pledged to place Nigeria on the path of unity and national transformation. Now, as the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, I will, in the coming weeks and months, provide insights into the roadmap that I am confident will help curb abuse in government, halt the decline in the quality of life of Nigerians at all levels, and usher in an era of unity, peace, sustained progress, and prosperity.

This vision is anchored on a commitment to unity, inclusion, social justice, equity, and the freedom of every citizen to pursue lawful dreams.

Central to this proposed roadmap are significant reforms in education and healthcare, which are at the core of human capital development.

Robust human capital is indispensable infrastructure for national progress. It serves as the fundamental capital upon which daily life, economic expansion, and the delivery of essential public services depend.

These are foundational areas that we must reform with energy and determination if we are to reap the demographic dividend of our youthful population.

From the outset of my presidency, we will establish a task force dedicated to drastically reducing the menace of out-of-school children. We will place greater emphasis on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to support our drive for massive industrialisation, anchored on our agricultural endowments and value addition across value chains organised around industrial parks to be located in development zones across the geopolitical regions of the country.

Funding and improving the equipment of TVET institutions, through partnerships among government, the private sector, and social entrepreneurs such as faith-based educators, will facilitate apprenticeship opportunities in the private sector, similar to the German dual education system.

The situation in which unemployment remains high while Nigerian entrepreneurs establish businesses elsewhere because skilled labour is scarce must be confronted decisively. Doing so is essential for the common good and for facilitating our transition from a consumption-driven economy to a production-driven one.

Character and civic education, emphasising the values that foster trust - an essential ingredient for enterprise and leadership - as well as shared national values, will receive significant attention within the tripartite approach to governance that we propose.

A New Nigeria is POssible. -PO

[NEFERTITI @firstladyship]

The Chicago State University @ChicagoState official Twitter account is still on private mode because of Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria. 😂