Umuoba-Anam/Aguleri Crisis: Passionate Appeal for Peace.
I am deeply pained by the reports of hostilities between the good people of Umuoba-Anam and Aguleri in Anambra East LGA of Anambra State.
Hostilities of the kind we are witnessing between the two communities achieve nothing but destruction. At a time when people are already finding it increasingly difficult to survive, adding the devastation of conflict is like adding fuel to the fire.
I appeal to both communities to immediately cease hostilities and embrace peace. No grievance, however serious, is worth the loss of lives, the destruction of homes and livelihoods, or the pain inflicted on families.
Let us choose dialogue over violence, reconciliation over revenge, and peace over destruction. There is always a better way to resolve our differences.
May God grant wisdom to our leaders and peace to Umuoba-Anam and Aguleri.
Nigeria will be OK. -PO
Abduction of 20 Youth Corps Members: Insecurity Must Not Be a Norm
The abduction of approximately 20 prospective NYSC members travelling to their orientation camp is yet another distressing indication of the worsening insecurity in our country. These young Nigerians were preparing to serve their nation, but they were unable to travel safely on our roads. Families are increasingly burdened by the fear that their loved ones could fall victim to kidnapping.
Protecting lives and property is the government’s foremost responsibility. We cannot continue to regard insecurity as an ordinary occurrence or act only after people’s lives have been disrupted.
I call for the immediate and safe rescue of all the abducted corps members and the arrest of those responsible. Nigeria must become a country where young people can travel, work, and serve their nation without fear. -PO
Protecting Every Vote. Winning 2027. Together.
My fellow Nigerians at home and abroad,
Over the past months, wherever I go and in your many messages, two questions keep coming up: How will our votes be protected in 2027? And how will we win?
These are fair questions, and you deserve direct answers.
This Sunday, I will answer you directly, and more importantly, listen to you. I will join you for A New Nigeria Global Digital Townhall. We will speak plainly about protecting every vote and the path to victory.
But this is not only about speaking to you. It is about listening to you. I want to hear your concerns, your insights and your strategies. This movement has always been built by you, and your ideas will shape what we do next.
Sunday, October 4, 2026
7:00 PM WAT/GMT | 2 PM EST | 12 PM MST
Attendance is by registration: https://t.co/tBtGQWtcun
Let us continue this conversation together. A New Nigeria is POSSIBLE. -PO
Independence Is Meaningless Without Real Freedom
As we continue to reflect on Nigeria’s Independence, we must remember that independence means very little if citizens cannot freely express themselves, within the bounds of the law, without fear.
Reports that some Nigerians in Akwa Ibom were arrested simply for identifying with the Obidient Movement should worry every Nigerian who believes in democracy and freedom, especially when such identification is a constitutional right.
One of the greatest tragedies of our society is that people who once described themselves as freedom fighters can become defenders of oppression when they eventually occupy positions of authority. Those who once complained about injustice can become comfortable with injustice when it is being perpetrated against people they disagree with. That must not be the Nigeria we accept.
Our independence must ultimately mean freedom from fear, injustice, intolerance and abuse of power.
Nigeria must belong to all of us. -PO
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.
IN CONCLUSION OF MY VISIT TO SOKOTO STATE
Yesterday, 29th September, in continuation of my two-day visit to Sokoto State, I had extensive consultations and discussions with various groups from across the state on insecurity, out-of-school children, endemic poverty, youth unemployment, drug prevalence, and other issues affecting our people in this part of the country.
My final engagement was a visit to the Ramin Kura IDP Camp in Sokoto North LGA, within the Sokoto metropolis, which is currently housing over 1,000 internally displaced persons.
During my tour of the facility, I found it particularly distressing to see Nigerians crammed into makeshift shelters and thatched rooms, with some rooms housing as many as 10 persons. The camp also lacks adequate toilet facilities, a primary healthcare centre, and even a basic school for the children.
I have always insisted that as long as even one Nigerian lives in an IDP camp, we are all internally displaced. Therefore, the government of today must work assiduously to make the temporary accommodation for our dear citizens living in these camps comfortable, while ensuring that all the underlying security issues that created these conditions in the first place are resolved, to enable them to return to their ancestral homes.
This is my 12th visit to IDP camps across Nigeria, and, just like in the others, I am committing to continuously supporting these Nigerians for as long as it takes.
This is why I continue to say that the President’s and political office holders’ holidays must be within Nigeria, so that they can see first-hand the difficulties faced by these fellow Nigerians, whose vulnerability has been worsened by the failure of government to prioritise critical areas of development.
Let me seize this opportunity to again call on the government and the relevant agencies to immediately look into the plight of these citizens and address their pressing needs.
A New Nigeria is POssible and will be OK.
Yesterday, 28th September, after paying a courtesy call on His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto, we had a very engaging Town Hall with the people of Sokoto. It was an opportunity to listen, answer questions, and speak honestly about the Nigeria we want to build together.
The questions were clear: unity, security, education, subsidy, healthcare, corruption, poverty, agriculture, power, infrastructure, ethnicity, and the future of our country.
Our message was equally clear: there will be no fake promises. We must unite the country and confront insecurity decisively, while also addressing human insecurity. We must fight poverty, unemployment, hunger, and hopelessness if we are to reduce criminality and create a safer society.
We discussed money politics and its devastating consequences. When poverty becomes the instrument through which politicians buy votes, citizens are trapped in a cycle where the same system that impoverishes them is repeatedly rewarded. We must break this cycle of bad leadership driven by transactional politics.
The work ahead is enormous. But with courage, competence, compassion, character, and the collective determination of Nigerians, we can begin to change the story.
A New Nigeria is POssible. -PO
In the Caliphate with a Message of Hope for the Poor and Unity in Nigeria.
Today, ahead of our town-hall engagements in Sokoto, Sokoto State, I had the privilege of paying a courtesy visit to His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, the Sultan of Sokoto, alongside my brother and running mate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and members of our team.
We used the opportunity of the visit to condole with him on the recent death of the Sardauna of Sokoto.
In my remarks, I emphasised the urgent need to unite and secure our nation, tackle poverty, create employment, and rebuild confidence in our country.
His Eminence warmly received us and spoke with the wisdom of a father and national leader. He recalled that he has known me for almost 46 years, since 1980, when I was in my first year at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and has maintained a cordial relationship since then.
He reminded us that leadership comes from Almighty Allah and carries a responsibility for which we will ultimately be held accountable. He also mentioned three critical priorities for Nigeria: security, poverty, and employment.
He additionally reminded us that our diversity of tribes, tongues, and faiths is part of God's creation and should be our strength, not our weakness. We do not seek to Islamise or Christianise anyone. We seek to build a Nigeria where every citizen can live safely, prosper, and have a genuine sense of belonging.
May Almighty God continue to bless His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto, the people of Sokoto State, and our beloved Nigeria.
A New Nigeria is POssible. -PO
The Infinite Possibilities of Sport
Today, accompanied by Ladipo Johnson, the NDC candidate for Lagos Central Senatorial District, and Aisha Jimoh, the NDC candidate for the House of Representatives, Lagos Island Constituency II, we went to the Onikan Stadium to watch the local league match between Enugu Rangers FC and Ikorodu City FC.
As the match unfolded, I thought about the enormous possibilities of sport and how countries such as Brazil and Jamaica have used it to engage young people, fight crime, and create opportunities.
It pained me to see how poorly we are developing sports in Nigeria. A stadium with a capacity of about 10,000 had fewer than 2,000 spectators.
Nigeria has no shortage of sporting talent. What we lack is the vision and commitment to turn that talent into opportunities for our young people.
Sport is not merely entertainment; properly developed, it can be a powerful tool for youth development, employment, and social transformation.
A new Nigeria is POssible. -PO
Yesterday, I spoke with ARISE News on the Anambra debt question and other issues affecting our nation.
In the interview, I clarified the facts surrounding the multilateral development funds accessed by Anambra State, the financial position I left behind in 2014, and the urgent need to focus on the hardships confronting Nigerians rather than on political distractions. I am Sharing this interview to correct factual details, clear all doubts, and put the issues in their proper perspective.
A new Nigeria where leaders are proud of their past is POssible. -PO
https://t.co/kvURszM91q
THE 22ND ALL NIGERIA EDITORS CONFERENCE
Yesterday, Friday, 25th September, I attended the 22nd All Nigeria Editors Conference of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, with the theme: “The Ballot, The Media and the Task of Keeping Democracy Alive,” held in Enugu State.
In my remarks, I called on our editors to continue to reinforce their role as bulwarks protecting our democracy. I also emphasised the need for editors to use their privileged position in society to hold us politicians accountable, investigate our records and demand excellence from all of us contesting to become Excellencies.
Editors must continue to scrutinise the qualifications and past records of those seeking public office, expose past wrongdoings and ensure that the Nigerian people have access to the information they need to make informed decisions. Leaders must exemplify the best values of society.
The conference also afforded me the opportunity to interact directly with participants during the question-and-answer session and to listen to their perspectives on the state of our democracy and the role of the media in strengthening it.
I thank the Nigerian Guild of Editors for the invitation to participate in this important conference, and I wish them a successful conference.
A New Nigeria is Possible, and Nigeria will be OK. -PO.
MY VISIT TO DELTA STATE
On Thursday, 24th September, I joined our Governorship Candidate in Delta State, Deacon Chris Iyovwaye, other Delta State candidates, our party leaders, and members of our party for the launching of the NDC campaign office in Asaba, Delta State.
It was another opportunity to continue to spread our message and commitment to a better Nigeria. We must unite, secure our dear nation, and move it from consumption to production, create jobs, and pull our people out of poverty.
I sincerely thank our Governorship Candidate, other leaders, and members of our party in Delta State for their commitment to a better Delta State and Nigeria. I also sincerely thank the good people of Delta State for the wonderful reception and hospitality accorded to us.
A New Nigeria is Possible, and Nigeria will be OK. -PO
ON THE ANAMBRA DEBT QUESTION
I have remained silent over the past few days because I have been grieving the loss of my very dear elder brother and friend, Chief Okey Ezeibe. However, the time has come for me to address some of the matters that have occupied public discussion in recent days.
I respectfully urge everyone to concentrate on the existential challenges confronting Nigeria and the hardships endured by its citizens, rather than on the needless distractions that have become widespread in our politics.
I wish to assure the public that I have no disagreement with my dear elder brother, Governor Soludo, or with any governor in Nigeria. I am not seeking the office of governor in any state, and I will not seek that position again, even if the Constitution is amended.
Accordingly, I appeal to governors to support whichever presidential candidate they choose while also permitting and assisting other presidential candidates and contenders for other offices to campaign freely and without interruption in their states. Ultimately, voters should be allowed to determine whom they wish to serve them.
Regarding the multilateral funding inaccurately described as “debt owed by Peter Obi” in Anambra State, I wish to state unequivocally:
As Governor of Anambra State, I did not approach any financial institution to borrow funds or issue a bond on behalf of the state. Indeed, at his farewell ceremony, the then Director-General of the DMO, Abraham Nwankwo, appointed me chairman and declared that, during his 10 years in office, I was the only state governor who had not approached him for a loan facility.
When I left office, the Anambra State Government owed no unpaid salaries, gratuities, or pensions. Neither did it owe any contractor or supplier who had completed work that the government had verified and certified.
Regarding development financing from the World Bank, these are concessionary development-support funds secured by the Federal Government for states selected by it to address specific needs. Repayment is spread over 25 to 30 years.
The Anambra State Government must therefore differentiate among three separate figures: the total amount approved for the multiyear development program; the amount Anambra State actually drew during my tenure; and the funding balance outstanding when I handed over on 17 March 2014.
The government has combined these distinct categories, added them together, and described the resulting US$123.77 million as “loans left by Peter Obi.” That is an incorrect application of public-sector accounting.
The eight facilities identified were primarily World Bank and IFAD development programs negotiated by the Federal Government, with participating states receiving access to the funds through subsidiary arrangements. They were not conventional commercial loans that I personally secured during my tenure.
This does not suggest that Anambra had no repayment responsibilities; rather, each facility must be examined in light of its approval, effectiveness, drawdown, and repayment record.
The clearest contradiction appears in the government’s own figures. It states that the original facilities amounted to approximately US$123.77 million and that US$92.35 million remained outstanding in June 2026. However, the DMO’s published records showed Anambra’s total external debt at approximately US$18 million when I began my tenure in March 2006, about US$30 million in March 2014, when I left office, and approximately US$45.15 million as of 31 December 2014, nine months after my departure.
The Anambra State Government must therefore clarify how a state whose recorded external debt was about US$30 million in March 2014 and US$45.15 million in December 2014 could supposedly have inherited US$123.77 million from Peter Obi, who left office in March of that same year.
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE: NIGERIA REQUIRES MORE THAN THE END OF CONFLICT
As the world observes the International Day of Peace, Nigeria must acknowledge a difficult truth: enduring peace cannot be achieved while citizens continue to face insecurity, hunger, poverty, and despair.
Peace means more than the absence of violence. It exists when farmers can travel safely to and from their fields, children can attend school without the threat of abduction, families can afford adequate food, and young people can envision a future in their own country.
For this reason, peace must be grounded in effective governance. Governments must safeguard lives, ensure justice, combat corruption, invest in education and healthcare, expand productive opportunities, and manage national resources responsibly.
We cannot continue addressing only the visible effects of insecurity while neglecting the circumstances that generate desperation and instability.
Every naira misused represents a lost opportunity to strengthen peace. Every citizen left without support reflects a crisis overlooked. Every injustice committed erodes the foundations of peace.
Nigeria possesses the resources necessary to become a secure, peaceful, and prosperous nation. What is required is leadership, accountability, and the political will to place the Nigerian people at the centre of governance.
On this International Day of Peace, let us pledge to build a Nigeria in which justice is upheld, lives are protected, opportunities are expanded, and every citizen can live with dignity and hope.
Responsible governance is the foundation of peace.
A new Nigeria is POssible. -PO
Mourning a Very Dear Brother
Today, Sunday, 20th September 2026, with deepest sense of shock and profound sadness, I received the news of the death of my very dear elder brother, and friend Chief Okey Ezibe.
His death is a great personal loss to me, to his family, to our community and to all who knew and valued him. I will deeply miss his very dear friendship, counsel, courage and the warmth with which he related with everyone around him.
I pray that Almighty God will grant him eternal rest and grant his family, friends and all of us who mourn him the strength and fortitude to bear this painful and irreparable loss.
Omeluora, rest in peace. Your memory will remain with us, and your dream of a New Nigeria will continue to live on. -PO
OBI/KWANKWASO TALKS NIGERIA, THE KADUNA TOWNHALL
Yesterday, after my visit to the Sheikh Muhammad Sambo Memorial Islamic Institute in Rigachikun, Kaduna, I joined my running mate, His Excellency, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and candidates of our party for an interactive town hall meeting organised by the party.
The town hall, which is a continuation of our series of engagements with citizens following the one we recently held in Port Harcourt, again afforded us the opportunity to interact directly with our fellow citizens, listen to their concerns, answer their questions and hear their contributions on the critical issues facing our country today.
Our response was to reassure our dear compatriots of our commitment to uniting our nation, pulling our people out of poverty, investing in healthcare and education, and aggressively tackling insecurity, so that our people can safely return to their homes, communities and farms.
We also spoke about the need to address the endemic corruption and inefficiencies in the fuel subsidy regime, reduce the burden of fuel costs on Nigerians, and create an economy that supports our citizens to live decent and dignified lives in their own country.
Let me use this opportunity once again to call on our opponents to also speak directly with the people and listen to their feedback. The very essence of democracy is people-centred governance. Leaders and aspiring leaders must therefore leave their comfort zones and interface directly with the people they seek to serve.
I thank our party leadership and the organisers of this town hall for a job well done, and I congratulate the good people of Kaduna State for their renewed commitment to supporting a leadership that listens to and respects their concerns.
A New Nigeria is POssible, and Nigeria will be OK. -PO
I arrived in Abuja from London this morning, thanks to Air Peace Airlines, whose flight arrived 20 minutes ahead of schedule. From Abuja, I proceeded immediately to Kaduna.
Upon my arrival, I visited the Sheikh Muhammad Sambo Memorial Islamic Institute, Rigachikun, Kaduna State, an institution I had visited twice in the past and supported in my little way.
I was very impressed by the level of progress the institution has made, particularly its approach to blending Islamic education with STEM subjects. This is the kind of holistic education that can equip our young people with both strong values and the knowledge and skills required to thrive in today’s world.
My commitment remains to investing in education and healthcare, developing our human capital, creating opportunities, and lifting our people out of poverty. Every Nigerian, regardless of religion, ethnicity, region, or political affiliation, deserves to feel that this country belongs to them.
A New Nigeria is POssible. -PO
DISCLAIMER: Fake Letter Circulating in My Name
My attention has been drawn to a fake letter circulating on social media, purportedly written by me to His Majesty, Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Ugochukwu Achebe, the Obi of Onitsha, concerning political and financial matters in Anambra State.
This document is entirely false, malicious, and a fabrication by mischievous elements aimed at misleading the public. Furthermore, the signature appended to the letter is completely forged.
I urge the public and media to disregard this spurious publication. My focus remains steadfastly on issues of national development, accountability, and building a better future for our people - never on cheap fabrications. -PO