Abuja Events

Please release these children for the sake of our shared humanity I am deeply shocked and heartbroken by the condition in which these abducted school children are, as seen from their flagellated bodies. It is a painful reminder of the depth of insecurity in our land. I have always made it clear that the society we abuse today will take its revenge on our children tomorrow. When I first began making that statement, some of these children were not even born. This is a classic example of how the abuse of governance and society today can produce devastating consequences long after the abusers are gone. It is on the same line that I argue that the loans our leaders take today will hurt our children in the future, as many of them will mature for repayment and consequences long after we are gone. To those holding these children, I make a direct appeal to your conscience. Remember that these are innocent children - sons and daughters of people who have placed their hopes, dreams, and entire future in them. In every one of them, you will find reflections of your own children, your own family, and your own humanity. No grievance, no hardship, no justification can ever outweigh the sanctity of a child’s life and innocence. Whatever path has led to this moment, there is still room for remorse, for humanity, and for a change of heart. I therefore appeal to your sense of mercy: release these children immediately. Let them go. Return them safely to society to reunite with their families. -PO

I will be a guest on Arise Prime Time today at 8:00pm, where I will be discussing issues of national importance and our collective path toward a better Nigeria. I invite you to join the conversation. A new Nigeria is POssible. -PO

From Pharisee to Tax Collector: Rethinking Tinubu’s Kenyan Comparison In a recent remark in Yenagoa, Bola Ahmed Tinubu suggested that Nigerians should find solace in being “better off than Kenya and other African countries.” While this may have been intended to soften the impact of economic hardship and rising fuel prices, the comment risks downplaying the severity of the current crisis. It echoes the biblical parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector in the Gospel of Luke (18:9–14). A similar warning is found in the Qur’an (53:32), which cautions against self-righteousness. Like the Pharisee who boasted of his superiority over others to mask his own spiritual void, such downward comparisons serve more as a refuge than a remedy. This validated an earlier dismissive remark by President Ahmed Bola Tinubu during electioneering: “Na statistics we go shop?” Yet statistics remain indispensable - they are the language through which nations understand their condition and chart progress. No country can develop in isolation from measurable realities or without comparing itself with peers. Comparisons, when properly grounded, are not instruments of escapism but tools of accountability. What is objectionable is not comparison itself, but comparison stripped of credible, verifiable data—mere tax collector comparisons that soothe rather than solve. On key development indicators such as security, the Human Development Index, life expectancy, GDP per capita, literacy levels, and electricity access, Kenya consistently outperforms Nigeria. Nigeria is the fourth most terrorised nation in the world, while Kenya is not among the ten worst. Kenya’s HDI ranking is 143 out of 180 countries, with a coefficient of about 0.630, compared to Nigeria’s ranking of 164 out of 180, with a coefficient of about 0.530. Its GDP per capita is roughly $2,200–$2,300, compared to Nigeria’s $807–$835. Kenya’s poverty rate is about 43% of the population (approximately 23 million people), while Nigeria’s is about 63% (around 150 million people), over six times that of Kenya. Kenya’s life expectancy is about 67 years, while Nigeria’s is about 54 years. The literacy rate in Kenya is approximately 81–85%, compared to Nigeria’s 62–65%. Kenya’s electricity access is higher, while Nigeria has one of the lowest levels of electricity access in the world. Kenya has about 3.5 million out-of-school children, while Nigeria has about 20 million. Kenya’s inflation rate has been about 4.5% or lower over the past three years, while Nigeria’s has remained above 15% within the same period. Kenya’s exchange rate has been around USD 1 to KES 130 over the past three years, whereas Nigeria’s exchange rate rose from below ₦500/$1 to above ₦1,250/$1 within the same period. Even with developments in the Middle East and rising oil prices, Kenyans have not experienced the sharp increases in petroleum product prices seen in Nigeria. Across other key indicators, Kenya also performs better. In the end, these indices clearly show that Kenya ranks higher than Nigeria on several development metrics. The standard of living of Kenyans is better than that of Nigerians. If the President considers Kenyans to be suffering despite these stronger figures, then Nigerians are in a far more difficult situation. He should therefore refrain from self-consolation and, in honest reflection, take responsibility for the situation and make a determined effort to drive improvement. This requires a posture of humility, accountability, and commitment to addressing the factors that have slowed Nigeria’s development. A new Nigeria is POssible. -PO

Let us reflect, sincerely and without sentiment. In the past few days, the President has reportedly approved ₦3.3 trillion as a “full and final” payment for debts in the power sector. Yet, this is not the first time such approvals have been made. On May 17, 2024, ₦3.3 trillion was approved for the same purpose. On July 25, 2024, another ₦4 trillion bond was approved to settle similar debts. There have also been other approvals in between, all targeted at addressing the same power sector liabilities. This raises a fundamental question: were the previous approvals mere announcements without execution? ₦3.3 Trillion Again? Nigeria’s Power Crisis Without End During the 2023 campaign, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu made a clear promise: that if he failed to deliver stable electricity, Nigerians should not re-elect him. Today, the reality is that power supply has worsened, to the extent that there are even discussions about disconnecting the Presidential Villa from the national grid. Each time legitimate concerns are raised, what we see appears more like policy pronouncements than measurable progress. Now, again, we are confronted with another ₦3.3 trillion approval to settle power sector debts. These debts were largely accumulated under successive administrations of the All Progressives Congress between 2015 and 2025. This raises serious concerns about accountability, transparency, and effectiveness in public financial management. It is important to note that government institutions and agencies, including the Presidential Villa owe a significant portion of these debts. Year after year, budgets were made and funds appropriated. Why then were these obligations not settled when due? And from what source will this new payment be made? Are we resorting once more to borrowing to service inefficiencies? Key questions remain unanswered: How did the debt accrue? What is the actual total debt in the power sector? Which components of the debts are due to operators’ inefficiency and should be borne by them? Why have previous approvals not translated into tangible improvements? Who are the real beneficiaries of these repeated payments? Is the ₦3.3 trillion approved on April 6, 2026, the same as the ₦3.3 trillion approved in May 2024, and how does it relate to the ₦4 trillion bond approved in July 2024? Nigeria must move beyond recycled announcements and confront the power sector crisis with sincerity, transparency, and decisive reforms. Until we do so, we will remain trapped in a cycle of debt and darkness. But with discipline, accountability, and the right leadership, a new Nigeria is still possible. -PO

“This Experience Will Not Repeat Itself” - Another Presidential Promise fails in less than 24 Hours. Less than 24 hours after President Tinubu stood at the Jos Plateau State airport on April 2, 2026, and promised the grieving Nigerian citizens, “I promise you that this experience will not repeat itself,” another brutal attack occurred in Nyamgo Gyel, Jos South LGA, resulting in the deaths of several innocent citizens. Since then, and only a week following that reassuring promise from the President, Nasarawa State has been plunged into grief as the Akyawa and Udege Kasa communities fled for their lives after gunmen killed at least 11 people. Many homes were reduced to ashes, and numerous families remain missing. In Zamfara State, 150 innocent Nigerians were abducted from the Kurfa Danya and Kurfan Magaji communities in one of the largest mass kidnappings in recent times. On the same day of the Zamfara kidnappings, terrorists in Borno State stormed Chibok, killing four officers and burning down homes. Yesterday, on Easter Sunday, Benue State was rocked by violence again, with over 17 Nigerians massacred, entire communities left in ruins, and many individuals still unaccounted for. Today, in Kaduna State, several innocent citizens were killed by terrorists inside churches, with many others abducted in the Ariko community of Kachia LGA. Yet we were told, “This experience will not repeat itself.” This represents a failure of leadership and responsibility, and sadly, Nigerians are paying for it with their lives. These attackers are not ghostly figures; our inaction emboldens them. How can a President make such a categorical promise and, mere hours later, the nation continues to count the dead across multiple states? The primary responsibility of any government is to protect lives and property; however, this responsibility is failing today. Nigerians are being slaughtered in their homes, in their communities, and in the very places they should feel safest. Even the President did not enter these communities, so who is truly safe in Nigeria? This is a national emergency. Nigeria is bleeding, and the situation is worsening and increasingly helpless. A New Nigeria is POssible. -PO