Emmanuel

Knowing how diabolical and corrupt this government is, I’m convinced they’ve set money aside to pay certain influencers, not to openly support them, but to sit on the fence and sell “neutrality” like it’s some kind of virtue. I am also sure there’s another set being paid to push alternatives, anyone but Peter Obi. That’s why I’m not moved when people start talking about “independent thinking” while staying on the fence. Some might genuinely be undecided, sure, but a lot of it is bought, and the rest is just people hiding behind neutrality so they don’t have to stand for anything.

I'm not even an influencer but barely 2 wks ago, I walked away from 7fig on the table from an APC federal bigwig to start driving Tinubu-centred narrations ahead of 2027. It was a long list of names. Surprised my name was there. & btw, they've onboarded some of your lovelies.

I know I'm not a USD centimillionaire like P.O., but that's exactly what I did at my own level. The COS and 5-year UK work visa with pathway to ILR that you people spend years killing yourselves over is what I voluntarily gave up. My nice 2-bedroom terraced house in Cowgate, Newcastle with my manicured lawn in front, my beautiful garden at the back, and my little Fiat 500 parked on my driveway is what I gave up. The person who took the property after I left is also a Nigerian and he's here on Twitter. My comfortable £40,000/year Project Management role at an electric vehicle startup, with my office window directly facing St James' Park is what I gave up. Free tickets to watch Newcastle beat PSG in the Champions League is what I gave up. I had a life that many of you would consider to be the dream, and I gave it all up and came back to Africa for one simple reason - I cannot believe in 2 contradictory things at the same time. I cannot serve and exist inside the imperial system that I hate, then come here everyday to tell Africans to rebel against that system. That would make me a hypocrite. As soon as I understood the full ugliness of the empire I was always criticising, remaining there would have been the same thing as cosigning it with my labour, my money and my participation. If you believe in something, you should be willing to sacrifice for it and even take pain for it. And if I can hold myself to that standard, then I can definitely hold my would-be political leaders to that same standard. And if it's not "fair" to expect any sacrifice from them, then they should go buy an island villa in the Maldives and sip sherries for the rest of their days. Nobody is forcing anybody to be in politics and Peter Obi is not a deity that is above criticism. Mao Zedong once led his Red Army on a 6,000km foot trek during winter without food supplies. He used to go to sleep cold and hungry like his men. That's what it can take to be a revolutionary leader. Nobody is asking Peter Obi to do even 2% of that, so why do you people always get so defensive whenever his name is mentioned in any context except blind adulation? Why aren't we allowed to ask why the Nigerian political leader whose entire platform is built on revolutionary ideas does not want to do what it takes to bring those ideas to reality? And if he's too cool to lead poor bastards like us, then what is he doing there? Why do we need him? Is he a greater or more important leader than Chairman Mao?

Fellow Nigerians, good morning. I woke up this morning after my church service with a deeply reflective heart, and despite every constraint, I felt compelled to share these thoughts with you. Many people do not truly understand the silent pains some of us carry daily—the private struggles, emotional burdens, and quiet battles we face while trying to survive and serve sincerely in difficult circumstances. We now live in an environment that has become increasingly toxic, where the very system that should protect and create opportunities for decent living often works against the people—a society where intimidation, insecurity, endless scrutiny, and discouragement have become normal. More painful is when some of those you associate with, believing you would find understanding and solidarity among them, become part of the pressure you face. Some who publicly identify with you privately distance themselves or join in unfair criticism. We live in a society where humility is mistaken for weakness, respect is seen as a lack of courage, and compassion is treated as foolishness—a system where treating people equally is questioned simply because you refuse to worship status, tribe, class, or power. Personally, I have never looked down on anyone except to uplift them. I have never used privilege, position, or resources to oppress others, intimidate the weak, or make people feel small. To me, leadership has always been about service, sacrifice, and helping others rise. Let me state clearly: my decision to leave the ADC is not because our highly respected Chairman, Senator David Mark, treated me badly, nor because my leader and elder brother, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, or any other respected leaders did anything personally wrong to me. I will continue to respect them. However, the same Nigerian state and its agents that created unnecessary crises and hostility within the Labour Party that forced me to leave now appear to be finding their way into the ADC, with endless court cases, internal battles, suspicion, and division, instead of focusing on deeper national problems and playing politics built more on control and exclusion than on service and nation-building. Even within spaces where one labours sincerely, one is sometimes treated like an outsider in one’s own home. You and your team become easy targets for every failure, frustration, or misunderstanding, as though honest contribution has become a favour being tolerated rather than appreciated. And when you choose to leave so that those you are leaving can have peace, and you step out into the cold, you are still maligned and your character is questioned. Despite all your efforts to continue working for a better Nigeria and engaging people with sincerity and goodwill, those who do not wish you well continue to attack your character and question your intentions. There are moments I ask God in prayer: Why is doing the right thing often misconstrued as wrongdoing in our country? Why is integrity not valued? Why is the prudent management of resources, especially when invested in critical areas like education and healthcare, wrongly labelled as stinginess? Why are humility and obedience to the rule of law often taken to be weakness rather than discipline? Let me assure all that I am not desperate to be President, Vice President, or Senate President. I am desperate to see a society that can console a mother whose child has been kidnapped or killed while going to school or work. I am desperate to see a Nigeria where people will not live in IDP camps but in their homes. I am desperate for a country where Nigerian citizens do not go to bed hungry, not knowing where their next meal will come from. Yet, despite everything, I remain resolute. I firmly believe that Nigeria can still become a country with competent leadership based on justice, compassion, and equal opportunity for all. A new Nigeria is POssible. -PO