Former presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Mr. Dumebi Kachikwu, has called on Nigerian leaders at all levels, to rise to the responsibility of delivering on the long-deferred hopes of citizens, saying the burden of failed leadership continues to weigh heavily on the people.
In his Independence Day message to Nigerians on October 1, 2025, Kachikwu reflected on the country’s journey since independence, urging a sober evaluation of its achievements and failings.
‘Independence Day is our national day of individual and collective evaluation of our nationhood. We look at how far we have come and the whys and wherefores of our mistakes and missteps,’ he said.
Kachikwu lamented that the sacrifices of Nigeria’s founding fathers had yet to translate into the nation they envisioned.
‘On this day, I can’t help but think of the sacrifices of our heroes past and wonder what they would say if they saw the Nigeria they laboured and sacrificed for in the here and now of October 1st, 2025,’ he noted.
He further praised ordinary Nigerians for their resilience despite years of unfulfilled promises, saying, ‘The majority of our people who are helpless and hapless are the burden bearers of decades of mostly failed leadership.
‘In their voicelessness they continue to carry the weight of our nation’s many problems, for were they to ever vent their collective frustrations, our country would implode’
‘As they search fruitlessly for their inheritance in the promise that was and is Nigeria, they continue to sacrificially tolerate and forgive the many failed promises of our leaders.
Today, I celebrate the heroism and patriotism of the Nigerian people who have kept the peace in spite of hope deferred. The good book says hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life (Proverbs 13:12).’
While wishing Nigerians a peaceful celebration and renewed hope in the nation, Kachikwu emphasized that many Nigerians were questioning whether current leaders could truly deliver the Nigeria of their dreams.
‘The question most Nigerians are asking of their leaders today is when will their desires come? When will the Nigeria of their dreams emerge? When will this nation work for everyone irrespective of tribe, tongue and religion?
‘From generation to generation, father after father has sold the promise of a better Nigeria to son after son. Today, they collectively ask their leaders; are you the ones to usher in a better Nigeria or should we look to another?,’ he noted.