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A Nigerian Catholic priest, Fr. Kelvin Ugwu, has expressed skepticism about the vision of a “New Nigeria” championed by former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
In a Facebook post, Fr. Ugwu acknowledged Obi’s integrity and commitment to values that many modern politicians and Christians have abandoned. However, he expressed doubts about the feasibility of the change Obi envisions.
“Peter Obi earned my respect because he is totally different from the kind of politicians we are used to,” Fr. Ugwu wrote. “In fact, he upholds many Christian virtues that have sadly been watered down by many Christians today.”
Reflecting on the last presidential election, he said:
“During the last presidential election, I was passionate for change. But the way things later played out, I had to sit down and sincerely tell myself the truth: the kind of new Nigeria that Peter Obi is advocating is not realistically possible. In fact, it is not even seraphically possible.”
Fr. Ugwu added that while he is moved by the optimism displayed by Obi and many patriotic Nigerians, recent political realities have left him disillusioned.
“This optimism was what I used to have. I thought that after the way Buhari mismanaged Nigeria, the country would be more serious about getting it right in 2023. But the last election, the supporters of this administration, and the persistent tribal and religious sentiments in our political discourse have made it clear that the new Nigeria Peter Obi is preaching will remain a dream—perhaps one that may never materialize in the lifetime of anyone reading this post.”
