In the aftermath of the February 25 presidential election, Peter Obi, the Labour Party candidate, has emphasized the critical need for effective leadership in Africa to propel growth and development. Obi underscored that addressing the continent’s sole challenge, which he identified as leadership failure, is paramount for achieving the necessary progress.
In a series of posts on his X handle on Monday, the former Anambra State governor asserted, “Unfortunately, Africa’s growth and development will continue to appear as an impossible dream if we do not deal with the only challenge facing Africa – leadership failure.”
Highlighting Africa’s potential, Obi acknowledged the continent’s abundant human and natural resources, including a youthful and dynamic workforce and extensive arable land. However, he insisted that leadership failure has been a significant hindrance to realizing Africa’s potential.
“Africa, as the second largest and second most populous continent in the world, with a population of over 1.4 billion people, is home to a youthful, and dynamic workforce with the largest concentration of working age population of about 1.1 billion people,” he explained.
Quoting the late Prof. Achebe, Obi stated, “The trouble with Africa is simply and squarely a leadership problem,” attributing this challenge to the reluctance of African leaders to fulfill their responsibilities. He criticized governments across the continent, labeling them as “gigantic criminal enterprises” and echoing the sentiments of Prof. Lumumba, who has consistently raised similar concerns.
“This criminal style of leadership tradition must be dismantled in order to guarantee the youths a future,” Obi asserted. He called on the citizens, particularly the youth, to voice the need for change and commit to ending Africa’s leadership crisis.
Despite the electoral outcome declaring Tinubu as the winner of the 2023 presidential election, with Obi coming in third, the Labour Party candidate maintained that the exercise was marred by irregularities. Obi argued that the process leading to Tinubu’s victory was “programmed for determined results,” raising concerns about the integrity of the electoral process.