The Labour Party’s (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, has come under heavy fire from the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for his recent remarks characterizing Internet scammers, also referred to as “Yahoo boys,” as “geniuses” who merely require appropriate redirection.
The Lagos APC called Obi’s comment “morally reprehensible” and “unbecoming of someone who once sought to lead Nigeria” in a statement released on Sunday by its spokesperson, Seye Oladejo.
In a country already struggling with moral rot, Oladejo said it was disheartening and concerning that a former state governor and presidential contender should make remarks that seem to trivialize illegal behavior.
“Crime is not genius. Yahoo-Yahoo is not a skill, but a societal tragedy.
We sincerely worry about Obi’s moral character; how can someone who consistently denounces corruption also exalt cybercrime? These inconsistencies show a perilous moral ambiguity that is inappropriate for a leader.
Additionally, the APC spokesperson called Obi’s stance a “reckless attempt at attention-seeking,” accusing him of using inflammatory remarks to gain political significance.
Reasoned leadership has been replaced with irresponsible statements due to his hunger for attention. “Unrestrained desperation should have a limit,” he continued.
Additionally, Oladejo claimed that Obi used “propaganda, misinformation, and emotional manipulation” to deceive a large number of young Nigerians during the 2023 elections. He warned that such rhetoric could encourage moral indiscipline and encouraged the LP candidate to apologize to the youth for his recent remarks.
The Lagos chapter insisted that leadership must be based on “values, integrity, and moral responsibility,” rejecting any attempt to romanticize or explain cybercrime while reaffirming the APC’s commitment to youth development and innovation.
Recall that on Saturday, Obi told attendees at a youth conference in Onitsha that many Internet scammers have brains and inventiveness that, with the right guidance, might be directed toward profitable endeavors.
He emphasized that “money is only a small fraction of true wealth” and advised young people to prioritize character, hard effort, and community development instead of pursuing money carelessly.
