Dodi Lance

CIVILITY IS NOT WEAKNESS. ENOUGH OF THE HARASSMENT OF MY SUPPORTERS. RELEASE RILWAN OLAWALE NOW. The continued intimidation and harassment of my supporters across the country, the latest being the case of Rilwan Olawale, is disturbing and unacceptable. President Bola Tinubu has remained a huge beneficiary of our democracy and should not brazenly be destroying it by encouraging and facilitating violence. Our campaign is peaceful and issue-driven, focused on offering Nigerians a credible alternative built on competence, accountability, justice, and compassion. We have chosen the path of peace, not violence; persuasion, not intimidation. However, nobody should mistake our civility for weakness, our restraint for fear, or our commitment to peace for an absence of resolve. We will not be intimidated into silence, nor will we abandon Nigerians who believe in a New Nigeria that is possible and will be OK. I therefore demand transparency regarding Rilwan Olawale’s arrest, his release, respect for his rights, and an end to politically motivated harassment. No government or political party has the right to deny Nigerians the freedom to support a candidate of their choice. We will remain peaceful but resolute. We will not resort to violence, but we will stand firmly and lawfully against every attempt to undermine our democratic rights. A New Nigeria is POssible and will be OK. -PO

A NEW AND PRODUCTIVE NIGERIA IS POSSIBLE, AND NIGERIA WILL BE OK Yesterday, 26th of October, our Party, the NDC Campaign council was inaugurated in Abuja. As part of my remarks, I told Nigerians how our richly endowed nation, the giant of Africa, is now the world’s poverty capital. Regrettably, over 140 million Nigerians are multidimensionally poor, representing more than 60% of the population. Corruption remains widespread, while insecurity affects every part of our country. Unemployment and inequality are at record levels, and Nigerians face severe and avoidable hardship. Even with the removal of the fuel subsidy and reckless borrowing, with a debt of over ₦165 trillion, there has been little or no corresponding increase in productivity. In the last three years, President Tinubu has foisted on Nigeria a reign of corruption and duplicity, resulting in extreme poverty. Today, President Tinubu has made history as the leader who has created the largest number of poor people in the world. This year, he has made about 16 million Nigerians extremely poor. Just last Saturday, President Tinubu, while launching his re-election campaign in Kaduna, blamed past and opposition leaders for the hunger and poverty that have ravaged Nigerians. What is clear is that President Tinubu does not have the competence, the capacity, the character, compassion or the commitment to solve the problems he created. He lacks the energy and the resolve to get Nigeria out of the current worsening crisis. Under President Tinubu, despite his promise to fix electricity, Nigeria now has the lowest consumption of electricity. Without reliable power, businesses cannot expand efficiently, hospitals cannot provide dependable services, schools struggle to operate effectively, and households face additional financial burdens. We will pursue an electricity reform programme focused on reliability, affordability, investment, and accountability. We will work with relevant federal and state institutions, regulators, operators, and investors to address the weaknesses affecting generation, transmission, and distribution. Under President Tinubu, Nigeria is more divided than ever, more terrorised than ever and more insecure than ever. Under President Tinubu, Nigeria has fallen into a crisis of values, such that our budgets are no longer credible and our laws are forged. Nothing is sacred. Nothing is spared from degradation, not budgets, not laws, not institutions. From our engagements with Nigerians across the country and all segments of society, the message is clear: Nigerians want and deserve a better, more productive nation, one in which good governance is visible, firmly established, effectively practised and embraced as part of our national culture. I, Peter Obi, with my very dear elder brother, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, implore and beckon all of you, committed members of our great party, the NDC, and all Nigerians, to join us in this crusade of rebuilding our dear and most endowed nation, Nigeria. Today, we begin a renewed journey towards a New Nigeria, united by shared purpose, founded on fairness, justice and equity, and committed to productivity, inclusion and development. We envision a nation where government prioritises the security and welfare of its people, good governance prevails, and public officials remain accountable. It will be a law-abiding society of healthy, skilled and educated citizens, where every child attends school and learns to read and write. No Nigerian should live in a displaced-persons camp, and corruption must no longer weaken our institutions or the fabric of our nation. A New Nigeria is our vision. A New Nigeria is our mission. Corruption today has become more pervasive under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s APC-led government. No state institution has been spared, and since 2023, its effects have spread throughout national life.

FROM PARIS TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: NIGERIA’S FUTURE IN FOCUS Following our dialogue at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) office in Paris yesterday, we made a one-hour stop at a Nigerian restaurant, where we met and interacted with fellow Nigerians before departing for Strasbourg. We arrived at 12:15 a.m. today, Tuesday, 20 October. By 9:30 a.m., we were at the European Parliament, where we held a series of constructive meetings with Members of the European Parliament representing various committees. Our engagements continued until 6:00 p.m. Throughout these discussions, I reiterated that Africa is a continent of immense potential, the world’s second-largest continent by both land area and population, richly endowed with natural resources and blessed with a vast, youthful population capable of driving production, innovation and economic transformation. I called for stronger European support for Africa’s development, particularly Nigeria’s, through partnerships that promote good governance, strengthen democratic institutions and protect the integrity of our electoral processes. Africa needs leaders with the vision, competence and integrity to unite our people, confront corruption decisively, tackle insecurity and reduce inequality. These are essential foundations for building prosperous, stable and inclusive societies. Africa must not be seen merely as a continent of needs, but as a continent of opportunities, solutions and possibilities. Nigeria, in particular, has the human and natural resources to play a significant role in global development. Our future must be built on responsible leadership, productive partnerships and a shared commitment to human dignity and prosperity. A better Nigeria is POssible. A New Nigeria is POssible! -PO

Nigeria In Focus: At The Roundtable in Paris, France Today, I participated in a roundtable discussion at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) office in Paris, France. The dialogue brought together policymakers, diplomats, development experts, representatives of international organisations, and members of the international media to discuss Nigeria’s future and its role in an increasingly interconnected world. Our discussions focused on development cooperation and the need to strengthen bilateral partnerships that can accelerate economic growth, improve the lives of our people, create productive opportunities, and support sustainable national development. I reiterated my firm belief that Nigeria possesses the human and natural resources required to become a united, secure, prosperous, and globally competitive nation. What we need is competent, accountable, and compassionate leadership that prioritises investment in people, education, healthcare, productive enterprise, the rule of law, and strong institutions over a politics of consumption. Nigeria’s future is bright, but realising its promise requires deliberate choices. We must move from consumption to production, from poverty to prosperity, and from wasted potential to shared progress. Through good governance, fiscal responsibility, and mutually beneficial international partnerships, we can build an economy that works for all Nigerians and restore our nation’s rightful standing in the comity of nations. A New Nigeria is POssible. -PO

ENDSARS LEKKI TOLL GATE: NEVER FORGET OCTOBER 20, 2020 Today, October 20, 2026, marks the sixth anniversary of the Lekki Toll Gate shootings, a painful reminder of the price Nigerian youths paid in their demand for a better country. On that fateful night, peaceful #EndSARS protesters were met with gunfire. Lives were lost, many were injured, and the nation was left with questions about justice, accountability, and the sanctity of human life. We must never forget. We must never normalise injustice. As we remember the victims, I reaffirm my belief that a New Nigeria is possible—a country where citizens are protected, not brutalised; where young people are heard, not silenced; and where government power is exercised with responsibility and respect for human rights. Nigeria must become a nation where no citizen is punished for demanding good governance and a better future. May the souls of the departed continue to rest in peace. May their sacrifice strengthen our resolve to build a Nigeria where this tragedy will never be repeated. A New Nigeria is POssible. A Nigeria where every life matters. -PO