The Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe, has called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently address rising poverty, insecurity, unemployment and economic hardship in Nigeria.
Speaking in his 2026 Ofala festival message titled “Celebrating 500+ Years of the Onitsha Monarchy,” the monarch cited a World Bank report stating that about 104 million Nigerians were classified as poor in 2023.
He urged the President to take urgent action, stressing that hunger, unemployment, poor healthcare services and insecurity were worsening the country’s development challenges.
On the 2027 general elections, Achebe warned that politicians were increasingly focused on political positioning rather than governance. He urged political parties to avoid violence and focus on peaceful, issue-based campaigns.
The monarch also called on South-East residents to overcome voter apathy and participate actively in the elections, warning that staying away from the polls could deepen the region’s political marginalisation.
He further urged INEC to ensure free, fair and credible elections, while calling for practical solutions to Nigeria’s challenges beyond political, religious and ethnic differences.
On community development, Achebe called for a comprehensive review of the Onitsha Advancement Foundation (ONAF) after five years of operation to assess its achievements and identify areas for improvement.