mezstanley

My fellow Nigerians, I stand before you today deeply aware of the responsibility placed on the office of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission. This is not just a position it is a sacred trust to protect the voice, the vote, and the future of our democracy

My fellow Nigerians, I stand before you today deeply aware of the responsibility placed on the office of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission. This is not just a position it is a sacred trust to protect the voice, the vote, and the future of our democracy

Now a Disgraced Country Indeed Today, as the world marks World Health Day, we must pause for honest reflection. Nigeria, a nation of over 200 million people, continues to grapple with one of the weakest healthcare systems in the world. Our primary healthcare structure is almost comatose. We now record worse infant mortality outcomes than India, a country with a larger population, while health insurance coverage in Nigeria remains below 5%. These are not just statistics; they are a painful indictment of our priorities. Recent disclosures by the Honourable Minister of Health show that out of the ₦218 billion appropriated for healthcare capital expenditure, only about ₦36 million has been released. This is deeply troubling. At the same time, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has projected over ₦135 billion for legal expenditures. Let us reflect on this. The amount earmarked for election-related litigation is far higher than what has been made available for primary healthcare, the very foundation of a nation’s wellbeing. This is the same primary healthcare system expected to serve millions of Nigerians and support critical institutions such as: 1. University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City 2. University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar 3. University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada 4. University College Hospital, Ibadan 5. Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife 6. University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin 7. Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua 8. University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu 9. Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos 10. Aminu Kano University Teaching Hospital, Kano 11. Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos 12. University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Maiduguri 13. Nnamdi Azikiwe Teaching Hospital, Nnewi 14. University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt 15. Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto 16. University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Uyo 17. Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria 18. Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki 19. Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi 20. Federal Medical Centre, Yola These institutions represent hope for millions. Yet, they remain underfunded, overstretched, and burdened by systemic neglect. A nation that prepares more for electoral disputes than for the health of its citizens is a nation that has lost its way. We must begin to ask the difficult but necessary questions: What are our true priorities? What kind of nation are we building? And for whom? Healthcare and education are not optional; they are the foundation of national development. Any country that neglects them undermines its own future. Nigeria must urgently reorder its priorities. We must invest in the health and wellbeing of our people, strengthen our institutions, and build a system that works for all, not just a few. A new Nigeria is 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