Nigerian presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, Peter Obi has strongly criticized the growing culture of “transactional politics,” where politicians allegedly pay young people to attack reform advocates on social media.
Speaking at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, D.C., Obi expressed concern over the irony of the situation: the same youths he and others are fighting for are being used to defend the corrupt system harming them.
“In Nigeria’s transactional politics, people are paid ₦20,000 or ₦40,000 a month to cause confusion online. Tragically, these are the same young Nigerians we’re fighting for,” Obi said in a video that began trending on Thursday.
He called the practice both tragic and ironic, stressing that instead of being tools of division, young Nigerians should be leading the push for change.
Obi urged the youth to reject manipulation and token payments from politicians, encouraging them instead to pursue knowledge, critical thinking, and civic responsibility.
“We must end politics fueled by money and deceit. Our youth need empowerment through education, not handouts to insult those calling for progress,” he stated.
His comments highlight a broader concern over the rise in online misinformation and targeted harassment in Nigeria, particularly against voices advocating for political reform.
