Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, has claimed that there are more “yahoo people” within the government than outside it.
Speaking on Saturday at the 4th graduation ceremony of Nexford University, Obi likened the state of governance in Nigeria to a “crime scene”, alleging widespread corruption among those in power.
A ‘yahoo boy’ is a popular Nigerian term for an internet fraudster, originating in the early 2000s when Yahoo was a dominant internet brand.
“For governance, don’t think when we talk about vices, it is only yahoo boys… but there are actually more 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,” Obi said.
The former Anambra State governor emphasized the need for quality leadership to address the nation’s challenges and urged graduates to become agents of change in their communities.
“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 stated.
He challenged the graduates to use their acquired knowledge to transform society positively.
“You have acquired knowledge today. Use what you have learnt to help us change society. You are a victim of Nigeria because our age and the age before has refused to do what is right, and you are suffering for it,” Obi added.
Oby Ezekwesili, former Minister of Education, also addressed the graduates, emphasizing the importance of service and adaptability in the modern workplace.
“Service is the best of leadership. We hope that you see graduation as the opportunity for service to the work,” Ezekwesili said.
She encouraged graduates to master the evolving dynamics of the workplace, noting that their professional world is markedly different from that of previous generations.
