A throwback photo of 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has resurfaced and gone viral online, showing him allegedly distributing money during an election period. The photo has triggered widespread debate and controversy, especially considering Obi’s recent remarks condemning transactional politics in Nigeria.
The image began trending just hours after Peter Obi delivered a speech at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, D.C., where he sharply criticized the increasing use of money to manipulate political outcomes in the country. In his address, Obi decried the culture of politicians paying young people to undermine efforts that promote good governance on social media platforms.
In his words, “In the transactional politics of Nigeria, some people pay them to cause confusion. Go to social media—those being paid ₦20,000, ₦40,000 monthly to abuse you are the same youths you’re fighting for,” Obi emphasized, highlighting the irony in how some youths support the very systems that fail to secure their future.
Peter Obi’s speech was intended to shed light on the challenges of reforming Nigeria’s political landscape, but it was quickly overshadowed by the resurfaced photo. Not long after the address, former presidential aide Reno Omokri took to social media to share the old image allegedly showing Obi handing out money during a previous election campaign. The timing and content of the image led Omokri to accuse Obi of hypocrisy.
Reno Omokri quoted Obi’s own statement and juxtaposed it with the viral image, saying:
“In the transactional politics of Nigeria, people pay youths to cause confusion” - Peter Obi at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, April 24, 2025.
Meanwhile, here is a photo of the very same Peter Obi during an election season in Nigeria, doing exactly what he is complaining about. If this is not hypocrisy, I wonder what is!”
Omokri further criticized Obi for speaking negatively about Nigeria in front of an international audience, suggesting it was unpatriotic to “de-market” the country abroad. He claimed that Obi’s own supporters, popularly known as “Obidients,” are often guilty of the same social media behavior he condemned in his speech.
“What Peter Obi said about Nigeria to a foreign audience at Johns Hopkins University is most unfortunate. Going abroad to de-market Nigeria is a disservice to our nation and a most unpatriotic act. And what Peter Obi complained about, youths insulting their leaders, is actually more prevalent among his own supporters, Obidients.
Yes, Mr. Obi lost the #NigerianElections2023, but that should not mean he must destroy Nigeria’s image,” Omokri added.
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