“There are more ‘Yahoo’ people in government than outside” – Peter Obi

Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, has criticized the Nigerian government for harbouring more corrupt individuals than the wider society.

Speaking as the guest speaker at Nexford University’s 4th graduation ceremony in Lagos, Obi lamented the rampant misuse of public resources by government officials.

“For governance, don’t think when we talk about vices it is only Yahoo boys. There are actually more Yahoo people in government than there are outside because we have turned the entire country into a crime scene where people inside are stealing, and people outside are stealing,” he said.

Obi reiterated the importance of strong leadership, urging the graduates to become agents of positive transformation.

“It is about leadership and igniting the future. It is not rocket science but it is difficult. It is being able to have a strong character, the ability not to do the wrong thing,” he said.

He charged the graduates to use the knowledge they’ve acquired to build a better society.

“You are a victim of Nigeria because our age and the age before have refused to do what is right, and you are suffering it,” he added.

On the sidelines of the event, Obi stressed the importance of online education in tackling Nigeria’s educational challenges.

He referenced successful models in countries like India, Pakistan, and Turkey and called for Nigeria to embrace a hybrid approach combining online and physical education.

“We need to massively educate people because education is one of the most important tools of development. The more educated any country or society is, the more developed,” he stated.