Nigerian professor of political economy, Pat Utomi, has reacted to a heated exchange between supporters of President Bola Tinubu and those of former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, during a podcast discussion.
Gists9ja reports that a viral video circulating on social media captured supporters of the two political figures engaging in a heated argument over the performance of the Tinubu administration.
While supporters of the President defended his government’s performance in the last three years, Obi’s supporters challenged the claims, insisting that the realities faced by Nigerians, particularly in the marketplace, tell a different story.
Some of Obi’s supporters reportedly challenged their counterparts to take the debate to the market to assess the actual economic situation.
Reacting to the development in a post shared on his official X handle on Sunday night, Utomi praised the political awareness displayed by members of Generation Z, describing them as a generation whose loyalty cannot easily be secured through material handouts.
According to the professor, he had yet to encounter an age group with a higher level of political consciousness than Gen Zs in recent years.
He argued that young Nigerians were increasingly unwilling to exchange their political loyalty or respect for politicians for basic food items and other forms of financial inducement.
Utomi wrote, “People love to say all sorts of demeaning things about Gen Zs, but in the past four years, I am yet to see an age group with more politically conscious people than them.
“You cannot buy their loyalty and respect with bread, rice, or other handouts. If you are an elected politician who is not performing well, they will tell you to your face that you are a failure. The future of Nigeria is in good hands with them.”
