Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, has condemned the recent violence that erupted during the students’ union election at Auchi Polytechnic, Edo State, describing it as a tragic reflection of Nigeria’s failed leadership culture.
Obi made the statement on Monday while reacting to a viral video showing students scampering for safety as gunshots rang out during the poll.
The violence reportedly claimed the lives of two students, leaving several others injured.
The former Anambra State governor attributed the growing trend of violence among Nigerian youth to the poor example set by the country’s political leaders.
His statement was referencing a 2022 statement by President Bola Tinubu, then a presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, who during a speech in London declared that “power is not served à la carte; you snatch and grab it.”
Obi said such rhetoric had dangerously normalised lawlessness and aggression in the nation’s political culture, with young people now replicating the same on their campuses and communities.
“The society we abuse today will eventually take its toll on our children because they will only learn by our example.
“Everything we are experiencing in our country today is a reflection of the decay of civility and orderliness,” Obi said.
“When we choose to conduct both our public and personal lives with bad behaviour and rascality, we normalise bad behaviour, lawlessness, and criminality.”
Recounting the disturbing events in Auchi, Obi lamented the death of innocent students who were simply participating in what should have been a democratic process.
“I watched a heartbreaking video that showed students in Auchi Polytechnic in Edo State running for their lives as they were being shot at during their student election yesterday, which left two students dead and several injured,” he said.
“The question is: Where did they learn it from? Are they cursed, or are we the political leaders who are cursed?”
Obi said Nigeria’s political culture had turned violent competition into the norm, urging leaders to take responsibility for the consequences on the country’s youth.
“When we have chosen to ‘fight, snatch it, grab it, and run with it’, how can we expect our children to do it rightly and democratically when they have learnt from us? This is not just disgraceful — it’s a national indictment.”
He added that the only way to correct the damage is for those in leadership to model civility, integrity, and restraint.
“It is now up to us, the leaders, to learn how to restore civility, order, and core values in our society by ensuring that our character and behaviour reflect the change we seek in our society,” Obi stressed.
“We must do better — for our students, for our children, and for our country.”
