***”Says Youth Must Rise as ‘David’
Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has launched a blistering attack on Nigeria’s political establishment, accusing the country’s ruling class of holding the nation hostage through years of failed leadership, corruption, and misplaced priorities.
Speaking at a youth conference in Abuja themed “David and Goliath,” organised by Rev. Fr. John Chinenye Oluoma of the Abuja Archdiocese, Obi likened Nigeria’s entrenched political elite to the biblical Goliath, describing them as powerful forces standing in the way of national growth and social justice.
He argued that Nigeria’s deepening economic hardship, insecurity, collapsing infrastructure, unemployment, and poor public services are direct consequences of leadership failure and systemic mismanagement.
According to Obi, successive leaders have continued to channel public resources toward private interests while neglecting investments in education, healthcare, electricity, and productive sectors capable of lifting millions out of poverty.
The former Anambra governor said the worsening condition of ordinary Nigerians reflects the cost of governance without accountability, noting that frustration among young people has reached dangerous levels.
Addressing participants at the conference, Obi said many of the questions raised by youths revealed widespread disappointment in a political system that has failed to create opportunities or inspire confidence in the future.
He challenged young Nigerians to become agents of change by confronting the “Goliaths” limiting their potential and the nation’s progress, insisting that meaningful transformation would require courage, discipline, and active civic participation.
Obi also cautioned youths against social pressures that promote unrealistic lifestyles, debt culture, and dependency, urging them instead to embrace hard work, integrity, and self-development.
He maintained that Nigeria’s recovery would not come through political rhetoric alone, but through a collective commitment to accountability, responsible leadership, and moral rebirth among citizens and public office holders alike.