The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has fired back at Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, over his recent remarks suggesting that President Bola Tinubu’s administration harbors more ‘Yahoo boys’ than those being arrested for financial crimes.
Obi made the statement during his keynote address at the fourth graduation ceremony of Nexford University, where he lamented that Nigeria was at the mercy of corrupt officials benefiting from the system.
His comments quickly sparked controversy, with the APC accusing him of reckless opposition politics.
In an interview with Saturday PUNCH, APC’s National Publicity Director, Bala Ibrahim, did not mince words. He dismissed Obi’s comments as “wild and unsubstantiated allegations,” arguing that such statements diminish the credibility of the opposition.Read more
“You cannot just make wild allegations or accusations without substantiation. If you say there is ‘Yahoo Yahoo’ in government, let him point to specific acts that prove that claim,” Ibrahim said.
He further criticized Obi’s approach to opposition, saying, “Opposition is supposed to checkmate government policies constructively. But when the opposition becomes reckless and clueless in their accusations, they lose sight of their purpose. The reason you find yourself in the opposition is because you either failed to prepare or you did not prepare to win.”
Obi, known for his outspoken stance on corruption and governance, has frequently clashed with the ruling party. However, his latest remarks appear to have struck a nerve, drawing sharp rebuke from APC loyalists who argue that criticism should be fact-based rather than inflammatory.