Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential flagbearer, has responded to a recent critique by the United States government regarding the extravagant spending habits of Nigerian political leaders, especially state governors.

In a statement shared via his official X account on Wednesday, Obi described poor leadership as Nigeria’s most pressing challenge. He argued that the country would continue to stagnate unless its governance structure is fundamentally overhauled.

“The biggest hindrance to Nigeria’s progress is failed leadership,” Obi wrote in the post titled “Leadership Failure: Nigeria’s Greatest Burden.”

“We must urgently dismantle this dysfunctional system and replace it with leaders who demonstrate character, competence, capacity, and compassion.”

Referencing a post by the U.S. Diplomatic Mission in Nigeria, which expressed concern about excessive government spending amid widespread hardship, Obi noted that Nigeria’s governance issues have become visible on the global stage. He described the U.S. remarks, as echoed by The Africa Report, as further validation of concerns many Nigerians have long voiced.

He also criticized the double standard of leaders calling for sacrifice from citizens while living in luxury themselves.

“You cannot continue to urge people to endure hardship while living in comfort and excess,” he said, citing Chinua Achebe’s famous assertion that Nigeria’s core problem is a failure of leadership.

Obi lamented that instead of addressing systemic corruption and mismanagement, those in power resort to attacking critics and silencing dissenting voices. He warned that the same tactic might now be used against the U.S. for highlighting the same governance failures.

He called on Nigerians to shift away from identity-based politics and focus on electing capable leaders.

“For too long, we have voted based on ethnicity and religion. The time has come to vote for competence,” he said. “We must transition from waste and looting to productivity, and build a nation that works for all.”