Video: Peter Obi decries transactional politics, urges youth to reject bribes

Abdullateef Fowewe

Peter Obi, the former Labour Party presidential candidate, has expressed his worries about the growing trend of transactional politics in Nigeria.

Video link: Peter Obi decries transactional politics, urges youth to reject bribes

He has alleged that some politicians are financially incentivizing young people to attack and undermine advocates of good governance on social media.

In a video from his speech at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, D.C., which began circulating online on Thursday, Obi vehemently condemned this trend, labeling it a betrayal of the youth whose futures are at stake.

He described the situation as both tragic and ironic.

Obi stressed the critical need for a political awakening among young people, urging them to reject bribes from corrupt politicians and instead focus on acquiring knowledge, engaging in critical thinking, and participating actively in civic duties.

He said, “In the transactional politics of Nigeria, some people pay them to cause confusion. Go to social media, those that are being paid ₦20,000, ₦40,000 monthly to abuse you are the same youths you’re fighting for their live because I am over 60 and I have few years to go.

“We must move away from politics driven by money and manipulation. Our youths must be empowered with knowledge, not stipends to insult those seeking change.”