Nigeria’s former presidential candidate Peter Obi has criticised what he described as widespread public distrust in political leadership, arguing that governance should be driven by competence and systems rather than transactional politics.
Speaking in South Africa, Obi said many citizens assume all politicians are alike because they view governance primarily through the lens of personal gain and transactions, rather than institutional performance and accountability.
“People always believe that every politician is the same because they believe governance is all about transactions. What we want are people who will make society work,” he said.
He contrasted business and financial systems in the United Kingdom with those in Nigeria, arguing that access to credit and opportunity is often more merit-based abroad.
“I lived and ran a very successful business in the United Kingdom. Back then, I went to a bank to obtain a huge loan, and they gave me the money based on my intellectual capital, and I later paid it back,” he said.
“In my own country, Nigeria, I wouldn’t get such an amount of loan — they would have asked me to go and bring my late parents’ property,” he added.
Obi’s remarks add to his long-running criticism of Nigeria’s economic and governance systems, which he says continue to discourage entrepreneurship and limit access to capital for many citizens.
