APC chides Obi for hailing Yahoo boys as ‘geniuses’

The Lagos chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has berated the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, for describing internet fraudsters — known locally as Yahoo boys — as “geniuses” in need of redirection.

In a statement yesterday, the party’s spokesperson, Seye Oladejo, said Obi’s comment was “morally bankrupt” and unworthy of someone who once sought to lead a troubled nation.

“There is nothing genius about crime. Yahoo Yahoo is a national tragedy, not a talent,” Oladejo said.

He accused Obi of sending the wrong signals to a generation already grappling with declining ethical standards, adding that the remark exposes “a deep moral confusion” in the former Anambra governor.

The APC spokesman said Obi’s latest intervention was driven by “desperation for relevance” after what he called the weaponisation of youth frustration during the 2023 elections.

“He owes Nigerian youths an apology. He exploited their anger, traded in propaganda and hysteria, and is now romanticising fraud. There must be a limit to reckless speech,” Oladejo added.

He maintained that the ruling party supports youth innovation but rejects attempts to launder cybercrime as intelligence.

According to him, the Tinubu administration has created legal pathways for youth advancement through programmes such as 3MTT, NELFUND and other digital innovation schemes.

“Leadership is about values, not vibes; integrity, not impulse. Populism without principle is a danger to democracy,” Oladejo stated.

Obi had told a youth audience in Onitsha on Saturday that some Yahoo boys possess “creativity” that can be redirected to productive enterprise, stressing that money without character destroys nations.