Former presidential candidate Peter Obi has renewed his call for a fundamental overhaul of Nigeria’s leadership culture, describing poor governance as the root of the country’s persistent struggles.

In a strongly worded post on X (formerly Twitter), Obi declared that “leadership failure lies at the heart of Nigeria’s problems,” insisting that without competent, compassionate, and character-driven leadership, the country cannot progress.

Citing a recent statement by the U.S. Diplomatic Mission in Nigeria, also highlighted in The Africa Report, Obi said international attention is finally catching up with the concerns many Nigerians have long expressed.

“You cannot ask the people to keep fasting while you feast every day,” he wrote, echoing Chinua Achebe’s timeless critique: “The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership.”

Obi also decried the tactics of those he described as “media thugs,” accusing political elites of launching personal attacks instead of addressing the core issues of governance, corruption, and economic mismanagement.

Calling for an end to voting based on ethnicity and religion, Obi urged Nigerians to embrace a new political consciousness rooted in competence and productivity. “We must dismantle the system of criminality… A New Nigeria is POssible,” he concluded.