•Describes Rivers council elections as rascality taken too far, mockery of democracy

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

Labour Party’s presidential candidate in 2023, Peter Obi, yesterday, painted a grim picture of life expectancy in Nigeria, stating that living in the country is as good as waiting to die.
In a publication on X, Obi bemoaned Nigeria’s unenviable status of having the lowest life expectancy in the world, with an average of 54.6 years, a record he attributed to a United Nations World Population Prospects 2025 Report.
He also pointed out that as of today, the country held two of the most dangerous health records in the world within just one year. This situation, according to the former Anambra State governor, was “a double tragedy, considering that health is one of the most critical measures of development.”
He also alleged that “another damning report shows that Nigeria is the worst country in the world to give birth, with one maternal death recorded every seven minutes”.
Obi stated, “We continue to hear heart-breaking stories of children losing their mothers during childbirth, and families losing both mother and child.
“These reports are not just statistics—they reflect the daily experience of Nigerian life. Though Nigeria is not officially at war, our life expectancy is now worse than that of war-torn countries, like Ukraine and South Sudan, all because of poor governance and a failing health system.
“These grim realities expose misplaced priorities, bad governance, and the failure to invest in one of the most vital sectors of development: the health and well-being of our citizens.
“We must urgently prioritise healthcare as a cornerstone of building our dear nation.”
A 2018 statistics by the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) placed the country’s maternal mortality ratio estimates at 512 deaths per 100,000 live births.
Similarly, the UN in its World Population Prospects report from March/June 2025 indicated that Nigeria’s average life expectancy was around 54.6 years, with men averaging 54.3 years and women 54.9 years.
The report stated, “Nigeria ranks as one of the countries with the lowest life expectancy in the world.”
It attributed the situation to “high infant and maternal mortality rates, infectious diseases, poor healthcare access, poverty, malnutrition, and insecurity”.
Obi described the conduct of local government elections in Rivers State by Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (rtd), the sole administrator appointed by President Bola Tinubu, as “rascality taken too far, and a mockery of democracy.”
Obi, in a thread on his official X handle, expressed regret that the exercise “represents a double tragedy for our democracy when a Sole Administrator – himself illegally appointed – dares to conduct an election that should empower the people.”
The LP 2023 presidential candidate added, “This is not democracy,” labeling the conduct of the poll as an outright desecration of the very foundation of democracy itself.
“Such actions are unconstitutional, legally untenable, and morally indefensible. They send a dangerous message that the rule of law can be discarded at the whim of those in power.
“But the truth remains unshaken: illegality can never give birth to legitimacy. Any structure erected on a foundation of lawlessness is a danger to both the state and the people.
“Nigeria cannot afford to continue on this perilous path. We cannot pretend to practise democracy while silencing the will of the people – especially at the grassroots, where democracy matters most.”
According to him, if the country must truly seek progress, Nigerians “must uphold the sanctity of the ballot, safeguard the people’s right to choose, and insist that leadership at every level flows from their mandate – not from contraptions that mock democracy.
“Only then will governance have meaning, and only then can the sacred bond of trust between leaders and the people be restored.”

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