Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has attributed Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the ongoing FIFA World Cup to poor leadership and weak institutions, while congratulating African countries representing the continent at the tournament.
The development was disclosed in a statement posted on Obi’s official page on July 5, 2026.
According to the statement, Obi congratulated all African teams participating in the competition, with special praise for Cape Verde, which progressed to the knockout stage despite its relatively small population and landmass.
He noted that Cape Verde has a landmass of 4,033 square kilometres, less than 0.5 per cent of Nigeria’s 923,768 square kilometres and a population of about 550,000, representing less than 0.25 per cent of Nigeria’s estimated 230 million people.
Obi further pointed out that Cape Verde’s population is about 200,000 fewer than that of Ogbomoso, yet the country reached the knockout stage of the FIFA 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,” he stated.
The former Anambra State governor argued that Nigeria’s absence from the World Cup was not due to a shortage of football talent but the result of what he described as years of poor administration, weak institutions and leadership that failed to build sustainable systems.
According to Obi, the country’s experience should serve as a lesson on the importance of strengthening institutions, rewarding competence and improving leadership across all sectors.
“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,” he said.
Obi maintained that effective leadership, stronger institutions and proper planning remain essential to Nigeria’s progress, expressing confidence that the country can still achieve sustainable development. “A New Nigeria is POssible and Nigeria will be OK,” he added.
