Peter Obi of the Labour Party has condemned Nigerian transactional politics, highlighting how politicians recruit youth as attack dogs against those fighting for a better country on social media.

Mr Obi, at Johns Hopkins University, U.S., on Thursday, lamented how young Nigerians are instigated and recruited as trolls on social media, with payments ranging from N20,000 to N40,000.

“In the transactional politics of Nigeria, people pay them to cause confusion,” Mr Obi said. “As I am here now, go to social media—all those that are being paid N20,000, N40,000 monthly to abuse you are youths whom you are fighting for, for their lives. Because I am over 60, I have just a few years to go.”

The former Anambra governor warned about the consequences of recruiting youths to attack the opposition, describing it as a form of manipulation.

“We must move away from politics driven by money and manipulation. Our youths must be empowered with knowledge, not stipends to insult those seeking change,” he added.

Before the February 2023 presidential election, a BBC investigation showed that political parties paid popular social media influencers to spread false information about the opposition.

The outlet quoted two sources from political parties and influencers, who admitted they are paid in cash and gifts for spreading false information on social media.

“We’ve paid an influencer up to N20 million ($45,000; £37,000) for delivering a result. We’ve also given people gifts. Other people prefer to hear: ‘What do you want to do in government, be a board member, be a special assistant?'” BBC quoted one of the parties’ sources as saying.