By Emmanuel Obisue
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential aspirant and former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi has decried what he described as the transactional nature of politics in Nigeria, saying it has blighted the prospects for sustainable development.
Speaking during an interview on Arise TV on Tuesday, Obi lamented the needless monetization of politics in the country, and called for a swift paradigm shift.
Obi stressed that “nowhere in the world has politics become more extravagant than it has been in Nigeria,” adding that the situation has become worrisome and must not continue.”
“In the course of my tour of states of the Federation to woo delegates and leaders ahead of the primaries, I discovered that a lot of things are wrong with our politics.
“It is no argument to understand that no country can survive in the way of Nigeria’s politics. Our politics remains merely transactional. Currency is the measure of faith and trust in the country. Our politicians abandon our currency and switch to dollars. Politicians without legitimate sources of income delight in spending money extravagantly. This can never happen in any rational country of the world.
“In Nigeria we are concerned about spending, where we cannot pay gratuities, salaries and others. Our kids are out of school. We don’t bother. Despite the fact that there are lots of crises in the country, politicians have money to share. The more I travelled to each of the states, the more worried I became. This cannot continue,” he added.
