Elder statesman and former NADECO chieftain, Chief Ralph Obioha, has warned that Nigeria is bleeding under severe hardship.
He urged President Bola Tinubu to take urgent corrective action or step aside for another southern leader to lead progress., as reported by Diaspora Digital Media (DDM).
Obioha, a key figure in the anti-military struggle, spoke on Nigeria’s worsening challenges and possible solutions.
State of the nation: hardship and insecurity
He said Nigeria’s crisis must be viewed from two angles: citizens’ welfare and leadership responsibility.
According to him, the standard of living has collapsed drastically.
The cost of living is now beyond the reach of average Nigerians.
He argued the system mainly benefits the wealthiest five percent.
Obioha lamented that insecurity has worsened across the country.
Nigerians cannot travel even 100 miles with confidence in their safety, he warned.
In the South-East, violence can erupt anytime in schools, markets, homes, or hospitals.
He called for a complete overhaul of the security system.
Non-performing security chiefs should be removed and replaced, he stressed.
Appointments and sectionalism
Obioha criticised sectional dominance in security appointments.
He said the imbalance fuels distrust and undermines national security effectiveness.
Beneficiaries may insist things are fine, but reality is different, he noted.
2027 and the Igbo question
He condemned divisive rhetoric accusing the Igbo of “taking land” in other regions.
Such propaganda, he warned, creates animosity that lingers after elections.
Nigeria, he argued, should harness the Igbo’s resilience and hard work.
“The Igbo remain among the most hardworking Nigerians,” Obioha stated.
Call for regionalism and Obi’s candidacy
Obioha backed a return to regionalism as a way to manage Nigeria’s diversity.
He supported rotational presidency, insisting the South should complete eight years.
However, he endorsed Peter Obi’s proposal for a single four-year term.
He dismissed claims of desperation, calling Obi’s plan an act of patriotism.
Fuel subsidy and economic hardship
Obioha supported fuel subsidy removal but faulted Tinubu’s poor preparation.
He described the move as a colossal mistake that worsened suffering.
Without cushioning measures, the policy exploded in Nigerians’ faces, he said.
He warned unbearable hardship could destabilise national unity.
Nnamdi Kanu and national healing
Obioha urged Tinubu to release detained IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu.
He said Tinubu should announce Kanu’s release on October 1.
Kanu’s continued detention, he argued, worsens insecurity in the South-East.
Releasing him would ease tension and foster reconciliation before 2027.
Democracy, INEC and judiciary
Obioha faulted INEC and the judiciary for eroding public trust.
He said manipulating citizens’ will is the state’s biggest sin.
He lamented that even professors now compromise electoral integrity.
This betrayal, he said, drives voter apathy across Nigeria.
Tinubu’s leadership and the cabal
Obioha admitted disappointment with Tinubu’s leadership despite his NADECO background.
He urged Tinubu to reflect and allow another southerner if necessary.
He dismissed cabal influence, saying Tinubu remains the final decision-maker.
“If he releases Kanu, support will pour in,” he insisted.
Final appeal
Obioha warned that Nigeria’s cohesion is at risk if suffering continues.
He called for fairness, courage, and unity from national leaders.
“Who makes peaceful change impossible makes violent change inevitable,” he concluded.
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