The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, says Nigeria has nothing to celebrate after 62 years of independence.

Obi said the country has continued to struggle under the weight of corruption, bad governance, insecurity, worsening economy, and abuse of office.

He said this known in his Independence Day message to Nigerians, a copy of which was made available to The Star on Friday.

The LP presidential candidate stated that many Nigerians were already tired and frustrated with the leadership failure that has continued to burden the country for many years, saying the 2023 general election presents a ray of hope to the people for a “New Nigeria”, if things are done correctly.

Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, further lamented that each new day in Nigeria, instead of heralding progress and development, the people, already weakened by poverty and hardship, were burdened by new forms of societal malady.

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“After 62 years of independence, we are still experiencing constant collapse of our national grid, as many as 7 times in a single year; our universities have been shut for 8 months; our inflation rate is at an all time high, as more than half of the population are battling extreme poverty; insecurity and violence are occurring at an alarming rate; oil theft is carried on with impunity and in all fronts – the nation bleeds,” he said.

Peter Obi added that any further slip into retrogression would make the nation uninhabitable for the citizens, noting that many Nigerians were looking forward to the 2023 election because “it presents them an opportunity to put an end to the leadership failures of the past and usher in a new and productive Nigeria.”

“The time has come for Nigerians to rescue their country from the clutches of failure, rascality and corruption that have held it down for long. That is the true independence Nigeria needs.

“We need independence from economic brigandage, tribal and religious disunity, poverty and unproductivity, poor quality education etc. The coming election in 2023 should be strictly based on competence, character and integrity for us to make progress in the country,” the former governor stated.

Obi further reiterated his readiness to move the nation forward, if elected as president in 2023, saying: “I stand by my resolve to move the nation forward, from consumption to production, from sharing formula to production formula. With this, we can build the New Nigeria of our dreams. Fellow Nigerians, let us take back our nation and build a better society for ourselves and our children.”

The Star