Our National Tragedies are Resources for National Transformation
I have received many calls and text messages from patriotic Nigerians who were annoyed that an Arise News anchor wanted me to answer questions about the 1966 coups, which were national tragedies. I reassured those patriots that, as a presidential candidate, I am ready and able to answer any questions about anything relating to Nigeria. I have a commitment to serve the people, not to hide from them.
As I travel across Nigeria and listen to Nigerians of all ethnic and religious identities, I have had opportunities to reflect on the many tragedies we have experienced in Nigeria, including the 1966 coups, the civil war, and the various mass violence that have plagued different parts of the country.
My view is that we could have avoided these tragedies if we had entrenched and implemented laws justly. These tragedies are the result of leadership failure. It is our responsibility to understand these failures and fix them.
The failure of leadership to guarantee all its citizens equal rights and freedoms, and to enforce the fundamental rights in the constitution without fear or favour.
We must focus on learning from our past. Mistakes in history are not fatal. They can become opportunities for transformation.
This happened in Japan. The Japanese miracle that took place between 1920 and 1970 was a product of patriotic leaders who used the Japanese trauma of colonial rule to drive miraculous economic development. South Korea followed Japan by weaponising cruel experiences under Japan to develop a policy framework of a developmental state, and became an economic giant under the inspiration of General Park from 1960. The same applies to China under Deng Xiaoping, who reinvented China from the tragedies of Chairman Mao’s Cultural Revolution and the many deaths of that ill-fated policy. Today, China is the second-largest economy in the world. What a transformation. That is our vision. That should also be our history.
For me, my responsibility as Nigerian President is to turn the pains and tragedies of the past into opportunities to make Nigeria united, stable, and prosperous.
We need a leadership that is not trapped in the past, a leadership that focuses on what binds us together rather than what divides us. At this point, we need a leader who believes in the destiny and future of Nigeria, a leader who publicly proclaims that all parts of Nigeria abound in human and natural resources, and that all parts of Nigeria can become productive and prosperous.
The difference in human history is having leaders who do not maximise those pasts for selfish ambition but leverage them to build a prosperous future for all.
Even in Africa, we can learn from Rwanda on how a recent terrible experience is being used to advance national unity and prosperity. We can do the same for Nigeria.
I am ready to speak about what the voters consider important. I am ready to comfort and console. I am ready to lead from the front as we work to turn away from the ugly past and into a future where no Nigerian will suffer on account of his or her ethnicity, religion, or social pedigree. Our past is important, but our past is not our destiny. Our future is what we do with our past. Our past is our resource for national transformation. We are ready to transform Nigeria.
A New Nigeria is POssible. -PO
“If Nnamdi Kanu could be jailed for life on no evidence of funding terrorism, why is Senator Shehu Buba still free? — Igbo Community FCT demands immediate arrest and prosecution” - Igbo Community Association.
After My Visits to Benue and Plateau.
After returning to Abuja on 8th September 2026, following our visits to Benue and Plateau States, I travelled to Europe, first to Germany and then to the United Kingdom. There, I participated in a series of high-level meetings addressing issues of fundamental importance to Nigeria’s future.
Our conversations addressed democracy and electoral integrity, the escalating challenge of poverty, education, corruption, healthcare, and, above all, practical ways to improve the lives and preserve the dignity of our people.
I was especially encouraged by the sincere readiness of our international partners to support Nigeria, particularly in the critically important area of education. I have consistently emphasised that education is the most valuable investment we can make in our people, because no nation can create a prosperous and sustainable future without developing the knowledge, skills, and capabilities of its citizens.
We must intentionally transition Nigeria from consumption to production, from dependence to productivity, from wasteful practices to responsible resource management, and from division to a common national purpose.
Together, we can create a Nigeria in which every child receives a quality education, democracy genuinely embodies the people’s will, healthcare is within reach, public resources are administered responsibly, and every Nigerian enjoys a fair chance to lead a dignified and productive life.
A New Nigeria Is POssible. -PO
Ochacho Gifting Peller House Generated More Traction From Nigerians More Than the Revelation Linking a Serving Senator to Terrorism Because Most Nigerians Are Useless and Stupid — Sadiq Maunde https://t.co/mPoqGXuuDB
There is never enough money to renovate the dilapidated schools with kids sitting on the floor,
There is never enough money to provide emergency ambulance for the people,
There is never enough money to provide enough hospital beds.
But there’s always enough millions & billions for campaign and vote buying.
Yesterday, 8th September, following the unfortunate incident in Benue State, where our delegation was prevented from proceeding to Yelwata to visit displaced Nigerians and families affected by the recent attacks, I proceeded to Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, where I visited an IDP camp housing over 500 displaced persons.
The situation in Mangu is deeply disturbing. Over 45,000 people have reportedly been displaced, while more than 20 communities have been sacked by terrorists. These are Nigerians who want nothing more than to return to their ancestral homes, rebuild their communities, cultivate their farms, and live their lives in peace and dignity.
As I have always maintained, as long as there is one displaced Nigerian, all Nigerians are displaced.
I therefore urge the government to do more to secure these beleaguered communities and restore the confidence of our people. The right to life, safety, dignity and livelihood must be protected for every Nigerian, irrespective of where they live, their ethnicity, religion or political affiliation.
Our displaced citizens must not become forgotten Nigerians. They are citizens of our country whose homes, livelihoods and futures have been disrupted. Government must create the conditions for their safe and dignified return, secure their communities and support them to rebuild their lives.
I concluded my visit by offering my modest support to the displaced families as a gesture of solidarity, compassion and shared humanity.
The New Nigeria we seek must be a country where every citizen can live, work, farm, raise a family and pursue their dreams in peace and security.
A New Nigeria is POssible. -PO
Do you know the most annoying and scary thing about this Senator Buba issue?
The boy who exposed him, Hassan, may have just risked his life for nothing. No one is going to do shit about it. We’re coward, useless, & stupid, at the same time.
We failed Hassan and Nigeria!
She was beheaded and stripped naked in her farm. This was not just someone I know, this was my relative. And no, I’m not talking of last year, or last month, I’m talking about last week.
When I say I’ve given up on Nigeria, you people should just leave me alone. Na me know why.