What June 12 Should Mean to Us Nigerians
Today, we observe a day that should mean a great deal to us as a people who cherish democratic principles. Every year on June 12, the conversation inevitably turns to a critical assessment of the state of our nation. It serves as an annual benchmark for asking important questions: Are our elections today as transparent as they were in 1993? Is the social contract being honoured? Are the institutions of governance truly serving the people?
Ultimately, June 12 is a powerful blend of reflection and aspiration. It honours a fractured past while serving as a constant and foundational reminder of the immense power inherent in the collective democratic will of the Nigerian people.
For us in Nigeria, June 12 is not merely a date on the calendar; it is the emotional and structural bedrock of our modern democratic identity. Officially recognised as Democracy Day, June 12 carries deep historical, political, and social significance, representing both a monumental tragedy and the ultimate triumph of the collective will of the people.
To understand what June 12 means to Nigeria, one must examine its history, its evolution, and its enduring symbolism.
A new era of true democracy is POssible. -PO
Despite Three Years of Tinubu's Food Emergency, Nigeria hungriest ranking index declined to among the worst nations globally.
In celebrating his supposed successful three years in office, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu listed some achievements in the agricultural sector, firstly, his declaration of emergency on food security in July 2023, followed by the acquisition of 2,000 tractors and 9,000 farming implements, stated as Nigeria's largest agricultural mechanisation programme.
Yet the outcome of this has been the opposite. Nigeria's hunger index has worsened significantly. Nigeria's hunger index ranking was 103rd out of 123 countries surveyed in 2022/2023, and this figure had since worsened to 115th out of 123 countries surveyed in 2025/2026. Consequently, Nigeria is now classified among the world's most hungry or food-insecure nations in the world, with the World Bank forecasting that 33 million Nigerians could experience severe hunger.
In fact, Nigeria has the highest number of hungry people in the world.
I have always maintained that Nigeria have no reason to be seen among the hungriest nations in the world when we have fast, uncultivated land in the north, which is our greatest asset today.
We must transparently invest in Agricultural production, which will guarantee food security, but create huge employment.
A new Nigeria is POssible. -PO
"Peter Obi is now the symbol of the survival of Nigeria, and everybody should fall in line.
"If I see Atiku Abubakar and Bola Tinubu, I will beg them to step down and join Peter Obi to become president."
— Kenneth Okonkwo
APC MUST GO ! APC MUST GO !! APC MUST GO !!! TINUBU MUST GO
VeryDarkMan and the rest of the ratels chats all over Abuja tonight after arriving from China 😂✊🏽✨
Sad: Our Children Are Now Pawns in a Deadly Ransom Economy
It’s heartbreaking to report yet another bandit attack on a school, barely three weeks after over 40 schoolchildren and their teachers were abducted and are still languishing in the forest.
The security situation in Kogi State has taken another tragic turn with a brutal bandit attack on Government Secondary School, Iluke, in Kabba-Bunu LGA. Armed bandits disguised in military uniforms invaded the school during an ongoing WAEC examination, killed the Vice Principal, Mr. Gani Anifowose, and attempted a mass abduction of students.
Reports from the scene indicate that local security personnel and vigilantes actively resisted the attackers and frustrated their abduction attempt.
Making educational institutions soft targets is a direct assault on the nation’s future. It creates a psychological barrier to school enrolment and worsens Nigeria’s out-of-school children crisis, disproportionately forcing young girls out of formal education due to fear. There is nothing more heartbreaking for a nation than being unable to protect its children.
My heartfelt condolences go to the family of the Vice Principal, who lost his life while gallantly defending the children entrusted to his care. May God grant his soul eternal repose.-PO
Excessive Borrowing Without Accountability: Further Affirmation of Imprudent Governance.
President Bola Tinubu's administration has engaged in remarkably imprudent borrowing, escalating Nigeria's total debt to approximately N200 trillion. This represents an increase of over N100 trillion within a mere three years, a stark contrast to the roughly N49 trillion accumulated during President Muhammadu Buhari's eight-year tenure, which would have projected to around N80 trillion. As millions of Nigerians grapple with the shock of this unsustainable debt accumulation, the situation is exacerbated by the government's reckless approach to borrowing and a profound absence of accountability and transparency in the utilisation of these funds.
For instance, data from the Federation's Budget Office reveals that the Bola Tinubu government borrowed N11.89 trillion in the first three quarters of 2025 (January to September), exceeding the planned borrowing target of N10.34 trillion by approximately N1.54 trillion. Under a responsible and accountable government, such an overshoot would necessitate rigorous scrutiny and explanation from relevant governmental bodies. Regrettably, this is not the reality under the current administration.
Compounding this issue, only N3.10 trillion of the borrowed funds was allocated to capital expenditure during the same January-September 2025 period. This constitutes a mere 17.66% of the N17.58 trillion earmarked for capital projects, leaving a deficit of roughly N14.48 trillion, or 82.34% of planned capital expenditure unfunded.
The most disturbing aspect of the financial management fiasco under Bola Tinubu is that there is no explanation or information regarding how the balance was utilised or deployed. The question that Nigerians are rightly asking and deserve an answer to is what happened to the balance? Was it deployed for recurrent expenditure/ consumption, for the entertainment of guests to Aso Rock or transferred to the Renewed Hope Agenda 2027 Election Campaign Fund? Nigerians deserve an answer on how our economy and resources are most unpatriotically managed.
A New and Productive Nigeria is POssible, and Nigeria will be OK!
-PO
Video: Governor Alex Otti reels out Abia’s concluded projects ranging from Electricity, Healthcare, Industrialization to Transportation in Abia State to woo investors to build a $1.3bn Medical City, to cut the international medical trips.