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Former Anambra State Governor and 2023 Labour Party Presidential Candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has once again raised concerns over the state of leadership in Nigeria, warning that the country’s continued decline is a direct consequence of electing leaders without the requisite qualities for national transformation.

In a passionate press statement titled “What Cannot Be Hidden in Leadership”, Obi made a strong case for leadership grounded in what he described as the “four Cs”—Competence, Capacity, Character, and Compassion.

“Leadership of a nation is such that it’s either succeeding or failing; none can be hidden,” Obi declared, adding that Nigeria’s visible struggles reflect a failure in these fundamental leadership pillars. “There are critical areas of leadership that must exist for a nation to move forward, and these are summed up in four Cs: Competence, Capacity, Character and Compassion. Where these four are non-existent, there is no magic you can do.”

He condemned the prevailing trend of voting based on ethnic or religious affiliations, calling instead for a national awakening to the dangers of such sentiments.

“We must move away from voting based on tribe and religion, and begin to vote for people with competence, capacity, character, and compassion, because we have all seen, painfully, what leadership without these qualities has done to our country,” Obi stated.

Explaining each of the four Cs, Obi emphasized that competence is critical, especially for a country grappling with multifaceted crises.

“Nigeria today needs a leader who understands the issues, who has the knowledge, experience, and clear ideas to solve them,” he said.

Capacity, according to Obi, speaks to the demands of the office: “It is not a ceremonial position; it requires strength, stamina, and the mental energy to confront our complex challenges.”

He was particularly pointed on the importance of character and integrity, warning that, “Without integrity, public trust collapses, corruption thrives, and selfishness takes over.”

Perhaps most central to his argument was the idea of compassion—a quality Obi suggested is sorely lacking in Nigeria’s current leadership.

“When a leader lacks compassion, human lives are treated as statistics, and suffering is ignored,” he said, citing the deadly flooding in Niger State and the recent massacre in Benue State as examples of leadership apathy.

“Recently, we witnessed severe flooding in Niger State that claimed nearly 200 lives, with many still missing. Yet, not even a single presidential visit—this, in a nation where the scene of the tragedy is less than an hour away by helicopter.”

He continued: “Just days ago, over 200 Nigerians, innocent men, women, children, and even soldiers were massacred in Benue State. Again, no presidential visit. No physical presence at the scenes of pain. No genuine national mourning. No leadership face to comfort the grieving or give hope to the people.”

Obi contrasted Nigeria’s leadership response with examples from other countries. “In India, after a plane crash killed nearly 200 people, the Prime Minister was physically at the scene within hours. In South Africa, when floods claimed 78 lives, the president went personally to the affected communities, stood with them, and took responsibility.”

According to Obi, this reflects leadership with a human face. “That is leadership with compassion. That is leadership that understands the value of human life. But here in Nigeria, we have normalised leadership without empathy, without accountability, and without a human face.”

In his closing remarks, Obi reiterated his long-held belief that the future of Nigeria depends on the emergence of value-based leadership.

“Nigeria does not just need another president; Nigeria needs a leader, a leader with competence, capacity, character, and compassion. Until we choose leaders on these principles, the cycle of pain will only continue.”

Ending on a hopeful note, Obi reaffirmed his signature message:
“A New Nigeria is POssible.”

ABUJA BUSINESS REPORTS NEWSPAPER & MAGAZINE