Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has used his Independence Day message to launch a blistering critique of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), accusing the government of plunging Nigerians deeper into poverty while indulging in wasteful spending.

In a statement shared on his official Facebook page on Wednesday, marking Nigeria’s 65th Independence anniversary, Obi said the country had been reduced from a continental leader to “one of the most terrorised and unsafe nations in the world” due to failed leadership.

“Our total debt stands at about ₦175 trillion, nearly 50 per cent of GDP, without any improvement in productive sectors,” Obi declared. “Nigeria has fallen to the fourth-largest economy in Africa, behind South Africa, Egypt, and Algeria. In just one year, this administration pushed over 15 million Nigerians into acute poverty.”

Obi accused the APC government of prioritising luxury projects over the welfare of citizens. He cited billions spent on new presidential jets, yachts, and luxury cars, comparing them to the paltry allocations for healthcare and education.

“The Vice President’s residence was renovated at a cost of N25 billion, more than the combined capital budgets of six major federal university teaching hospitals,” he noted.

The former Anambra governor lamented that more than 150 million Nigerians lack access to basic services such as healthcare, education, and clean water.

He warned that hunger and food insecurity are reaching crisis levels, with UNICEF and WFP projecting 33 million Nigerians facing acute hunger in 2025.

He also accused the government of reckless borrowing “not for productive infrastructure but for wasteful consumption,” adding that insecurity has made road travel dangerous and turned kidnapping into a thriving criminal enterprise.

“Despite today’s challenges, the future remains bright. What we need is competent, compassionate, and committed leadership. Against all odds, we will return Nigeria to the path of prosperity and justice. We will not relent. We will not be discouraged. The mission is clear: Nigeria will rise again,” he said.

His speech, titled “A Great Nigeria is Still Possible,” closed with a call for an end to what he described as “a system where leaders feast while the people starve.”