Today, I arrived at Abuja Airport from the United Kingdom at 5:30 a.m. and immediately connected to the 7 a.m. Enugu Air flight to Enugu to attend the funeral of late Ifeanyi Nwolie, who was laid to rest in his hometown of Afa, Udi Local Government Area, Enugu State. Late Ifeanyi Nwolie was one of my supporters who participated in the recent NDC party political activity marred by violence on October 10, 2026. Tragically, he was shot. His death is a painful reminder of the devastating human cost of our nation’s current toxic political environment. As we approach the 2027 general elections, I appeal to all candidates contesting at the federal, state, and local government levels to reject violence, ethnic division, and religious bigotry. Our campaigns and activities must be based on issues that will make our country better. Democracy thrives when citizens can freely express their political choices and participate in the electoral process without fear. The process through which we attain public office is more important than the office itself. My humble pledge to the mother is that God Almighty, whom it pleased to bring Ifeanyi home, has also given her another son in me to support her as Ifeanyi used to. A country’s greatest strength lies in the rule of law. When the rule of law is undermined, the door is opened to disorder and anarchy. We must work together to rebuild and restore a Nigeria where human life is valued above political ambition, and where every citizen can exercise their democratic rights in peace and safety. A New Nigeria is POssible. -PO

Rebuilding Nigeria Yesterday, Wednesday, 21 October, I arrived in London at 7 a.m. from Basel, Switzerland. It was one of my busiest days, filled with several engagements, including meetings with stakeholders in the UK. I rounded off the day in the evening with a meeting organised by the COPDEM Chief and the NDC Director of Diaspora Affairs, bringing together other stakeholders in London. All the meetings with British government officials and the Nigerian diaspora centred on our collective responsibility to rebuild Nigeria and free our country from the shackles of bad leadership, corruption, and the lack of accountability that continue to undermine our national development. These challenges have deprived millions of Nigerians of access to basic necessities, including quality healthcare, education, and decent employment. Nigerians deserve a country where every life matters, where hard work is rewarded, and where every citizen has a fair opportunity to succeed, regardless of their background or connections. We must build a Nigeria where the child of nobody can become somebody without knowing anybody. A country that works for everyone, not just a privileged few. A New Nigeria is POssible. -PO

FROM PARIS TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: NIGERIA’S FUTURE IN FOCUS Following our dialogue at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) office in Paris yesterday, we made a one-hour stop at a Nigerian restaurant, where we met and interacted with fellow Nigerians before departing for Strasbourg. We arrived at 12:15 a.m. today, Tuesday, 20 October. By 9:30 a.m., we were at the European Parliament, where we held a series of constructive meetings with Members of the European Parliament representing various committees. Our engagements continued until 6:00 p.m. Throughout these discussions, I reiterated that Africa is a continent of immense potential, the world’s second-largest continent by both land area and population, richly endowed with natural resources and blessed with a vast, youthful population capable of driving production, innovation and economic transformation. I called for stronger European support for Africa’s development, particularly Nigeria’s, through partnerships that promote good governance, strengthen democratic institutions and protect the integrity of our electoral processes. Africa needs leaders with the vision, competence and integrity to unite our people, confront corruption decisively, tackle insecurity and reduce inequality. These are essential foundations for building prosperous, stable and inclusive societies. Africa must not be seen merely as a continent of needs, but as a continent of opportunities, solutions and possibilities. Nigeria, in particular, has the human and natural resources to play a significant role in global development. Our future must be built on responsible leadership, productive partnerships and a shared commitment to human dignity and prosperity. A better Nigeria is POssible. A New Nigeria is POssible! -PO

Data and Statistics Are Tools for Effective and Good Governance Data and statistics are indispensable tools for effective and good governance. They enable us to assess performance, measure progress, identify challenges, and learn from the experiences of others. Although the next World Statistics Day will be celebrated on 20 October 2030, I have chosen to commemorate it today because it is usually celebrated on 20 October, and to encourage our people to appreciate the importance of statistics in national development. It is globally known that nations grow and develop by learning from others. In Nigeria, we learnt or adopted almost everything about our governance from other nations. While we got our presidential system from the US, other aspects of our socio-economic and governance systems were adopted from the United Kingdom, flowing from our colonial heritage. These include our legal, educational, banking, health, communication and agricultural systems, etc. As individuals, we also recognise that life is a process of learning to improve, develop and grow. That is the natural process through which we all became medical doctors, economists, engineers, bankers, lawyers, mechanics, painters and professionals in other disciplines. Moreover, we always want to learn from comparable experiences and similar people. This is how we interrogate nations with visible progress and achievements that are verifiable through data and statistics, generally referred to as evidence. Good governance principles are anchored on global best practices, which entail acknowledging, borrowing and adopting what works best in other climes. Global best practices are also parameters and benchmarks for comparative politics and performance. The problem with our incompetent and corrupt APC-led government is the confusion of hubris with leadership. This stems from a lack of patriotism and a total absence of commitment to a better Nigeria. This is why the government lacks the required humility, patriotism and disposition to learning and is fixated on governing our richly endowed nation with corrupt, ineffective and reactive policies, which inevitably produce poor and retrogressive outcomes. Verifiable data and facts confirm that Bangladesh is a developing country with a population of about 178 million people. Undisputed and verifiable statistics affirm that Bangladesh achieved significant poverty reduction between 2010 and 2022. This lifted about 34 million people out of poverty and reduced extreme poverty rates from 12.2% to 5.6%. It is not by accident that indexes such as the Human Development Index (HDI) and Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index are sources of evidence on human progress. It is also widely known and confirmed that the significant poverty reduction was achieved through five key pillars: agricultural growth, export-oriented manufacturing, microfinance and NGOs, social safety nets, and human capital and infrastructure. As the above pillars through which Bangladesh significantly reduced poverty are not too difficult to understand, the appropriate thing a patriotic and effective government would have done is to learn humbly and diligently how Nigeria can also significantly reduce its embarrassing and shameful poverty level. Moreover, just as it is in Bangladesh, so it is with the remarkable leadership in Vietnam, Rwanda, Morocco, India and many other developing nations. Unfortunately, the disingenuous, incompetent and corrupt APC government cannot give what it does not have. It is limited in its global worldview, unwilling to learn and deeply consumed by its inclination towards state capture through the corrupt control of our national resources and bad governance. That is why Nigeria, a richly endowed and blessed country, is now classified as the poverty capital of the world, with a poverty rate of about 63% and over 140 million Nigerians living in multidimensional poverty.

ENDSARS LEKKI TOLL GATE: NEVER FORGET OCTOBER 20, 2020 Today, October 20, 2026, marks the sixth anniversary of the Lekki Toll Gate shootings, a painful reminder of the price Nigerian youths paid in their demand for a better country. On that fateful night, peaceful #EndSARS protesters were met with gunfire. Lives were lost, many were injured, and the nation was left with questions about justice, accountability, and the sanctity of human life. We must never forget. We must never normalise injustice. As we remember the victims, I reaffirm my belief that a New Nigeria is possible—a country where citizens are protected, not brutalised; where young people are heard, not silenced; and where government power is exercised with responsibility and respect for human rights. Nigeria must become a nation where no citizen is punished for demanding good governance and a better future. May the souls of the departed continue to rest in peace. May their sacrifice strengthen our resolve to build a Nigeria where this tragedy will never be repeated. A New Nigeria is POssible. A Nigeria where every life matters. -PO

MY MESSAGE HAS BEEN TWISTED Even though my media office has issued a responsible clarification on the situation, I still find it necessary to add my voice to address the distortion of my message by political opponents. I deeply appreciate Nigerians in the diaspora who work tirelessly and make enormous sacrifices to support their families back home. Their remittances pay for school fees, hospital bills, rent, and feeding expenses. Their patriotism and sacrifices deserve our profound respect. I never asked them to abandon their loved ones. My concern is that Nigeria should not remain a country where millions depend on relatives abroad for basic survival. Our goal must be to build a nation that provides jobs, affordable healthcare, quality education, and economic opportunities for its citizens. Political opponents may twist my message, but the truth remains clear: I am not asking Nigerians abroad to abandon their families. I am advocating for a Nigeria that will no longer abandon its own people. God bless Nigerians at home and abroad. God bless Nigeria. -PO

WORLD FOOD DAY: HUNGER IN NIGERIA, NOW A NATIONAL EMERGENCY Yesterday, as the world marked International Rural Women’s Day, I joined Nigerian rural women who produce the food that sustains our population. What became clear to me is that hunger in the country must be declared a national emergency. Today, as the world marks World Food Day, Nigerians are confronting a painful reality: hunger, poverty, and insecurity continue to affect millions of families across the country. Nigeria is now one of the hungriest countries in the world, ranking 117th out of 125, down from 109th out of 125 in 2023, when the current administration came into office. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) estimates that about 36 million Nigerians will face acute hunger this year. The tragedy is even more painful because Nigeria has vast, arable, and fertile land. Yet about 60% remains uncultivated, providing forest hideouts for terrorist organisations and other non-state actors. On World Food Day, the message is clear: Nigerians deserve a country where no family goes to bed hungry, farmers can work without fear, and poverty and insecurity are confronted with urgency and compassion. The fight against hunger must be treated as a national emergency. Under our leadership, we will secure the country and return our hardworking farmers to their farms. They will receive targeted grants, subsidies, and other forms of support. Together, we can build a Nigeria where no one goes to bed hungry and every farmer can work in peace and dignity. A New Nigeria is POssible. Nigeria will be OK. -PO

Honouring Nigeria's Rural Women on Their International Day Today, October 15th, is globally dedicated to honouring rural women. In recognition of their contributions, I set out early this morning to spend time with members of the Akpu Sellers Association at their markets in Sheda and Sheda Galadima, within the Kwali Area Council of the FCT, to gain a firsthand understanding of their lives and daily experiences. During our discussion, they expressed concerns about worsening hardship, declining business patronage, severely insufficient water supply, and the need for microcredit to strengthen their businesses. I assured them that our government remains committed to supporting them, all rural women, and indeed, all Nigerians. Supporting their enterprises will be one of our priorities because it is essential to my central commitment to lifting our people out of poverty. I sincerely honour the millions of Nigerian women in rural communities who cultivate our land, produce our food, sustain our families, and power rural economies, yet remain among those most neglected by government. They continue to endure hardship, insecurity, rising poverty, limited access to credit, and inadequate healthcare. My solidarity with rural women demonstrates my commitment to building a Nigeria where those who sustain our nation are empowered to prosper, rural communities receive the investments they rightly deserve, and no woman is deprived of opportunity because of her place of residence. A New Nigeria must support rural women. I commend our women for their resilience amid severe economic pressures caused by poor government policies, incompetence, and the outright mismanagement of our national resources. A New Nigeria is POssible, and will be OK. -PO

Pope Leo XIV: A Prayer of Gratitude and Hope Yesterday, I kept Pope Leo XIV, the head of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City, in my earnest prayers as he underwent surgery. I am grateful for the encouraging reports of his successful surgery and recovery. I thank God for seeing the Holy Father through this procedure and pray for his complete recovery, renewed strength and good health. May God continue to guide his medical team, sustain him in this period of recovery and grant him the grace to return fully to his pastoral duties. A New Nigeria is POssible. -PO

Scaring Investors While Celebrating Macroeconomic Stability! As the APC-led government continue in their delusional celebration of Nigeria's macroeconomic stability, the warning from the United States Government to prospective investors on inherent risks in Nigeria, further affirms the general and correct assessment that President Bola Tinubu-led government is incompetent, ineffective and corrupt. In the 2026 Nigeria Investment Climate Statement, the U.S. Department of State clearly flagged corruption, insecurity, inconsistent regulatory enforcement and weaknesses in the judicial system, cargo delays and power sector challenges as key factors undermining investor confidence in Nigeria. The report went further to caution investors of the possible use of arbitrary detention, travel restriction and immigration enforcement to coerce foreign businesses in Nigeria. As the report unambiguosly stated: “U.S. businesses are advised that standard business trips can escalate into detention if the firm is under regulatory suspicion or faces charges by Nigerian authorities. Nigeria has previously employed coercive exit bans and arbitrary detention as leverage in commercial or regulatory disputes, and to extract data or financial concessions from multinational firms. Port inefficiency remains a significant “hidden tax” on investment. While the Lekki Deep Seaport, which opened in 2023, significantly eased pressure in 2025 — handling $9.6 billion in trade and operating at 50 percent capacity — traditional ports in Apapa and Tin Can still suffer from cargo dwell times exceeding 20 days due to manual examinations.” In a nation with an effective, competent and attentive government, this kind of adverse report would have elicited immediate intervention by the President and Commander in Chief ordering prompt investigation, follow-up and effective action to ensure that our most endowed Nigeria is not perceived negatively by one of our key trading partners, friendly nations and expectedly the global economy. This is even more important given our desperation for Foreign Direct Investment. Unfortunately, our incompetent APC- led government cannot give what they don’t have as they are the real perpetrators of the issues raised by the U.S. Government. This explains why Nigeria is unable to attract Foreign Direct Investment commensurate with our market size and potential. Of the $10.37 billion in total capital importation in the first quarter of 2026, only $135.08 million (about 1.3% of the total inflows) was Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), while about $9.86 billion (about 95.1% of the total inflows) went into Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI) with loans and other capital streams accounting for the remaining.