The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) flag bearer for the 2027 Nigerian presidential elections H.E Peter Obi has praised the African Teams representing the continent at the 2026 FIFA World Cup™.
Taking to his X (formerly Twitter) handle he wrote, "Congratulations to all the African countries representing our continent at the World Cup. Your performances have made Africa proud.
Special congratulations to Cape Verde, a nation with a landmass of 4,033 sq km, which is less than 0.5% of Nigeria’s landmass of 923,768 sq km, and a population of about 550,000, which is less than 0.25% of Nigeria’s population of 230,000,000. For context, Cape Verde has about 200,000 fewer people than Ogbomoso. Yet, they reached the knockout stage of the World Cup.
Cape Verde has once again demonstrated that greatness is not determined by size or population, but by planning and disciplined execution. When systems work, even the smallest nations can compete with the best in the world.
Nigeria’s absence from the World Cup is not a consequence of a lack of talent. It is the result of years of poor administration, weak institutions, and leadership that has consistently failed to build sustainable systems.
This is the lesson for us as a nation: if we can get leadership right, strengthen our institutions, plan and execute properly, and reward talent over connections, Nigeria can become a global success story, not only in football but also in other areas.
A new Nigeria is POssible … and Nigeria will be OK. -PO"
