Peter Obi, the Labour Party's (LP) presidential candidate, has urged lawmakers to spend money on the advancement of human capital rather than giving it to voters during elections.
Obi made this statement on Thursday in Ibadan, the Oyo state's capital, following a meeting with Seyi Makinde.
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) estimates that between 2015 and 2020, there will be nine million more young people without jobs in Nigeria.
According to the former governor of Anambra, the country's high unemployment rate is a result of the political sphere becoming commercialised.
“The money that they are sharing is why there is joblessness in the society,” newsmen quoted Obi as saying.
“That is the money that should have been used to do what is right — to improve human capital, to invest in education and health.”
The presidential candidate said he has been going across different party lines to canvass stakeholders to “save” the country.
Obi added that Nigeria is a consumption country, and promised to turn it into a country that prioritises production if he wins the presidential election.
He also said, if elected, he will ensure the country works for all persons, irrespective of social class.
He urged Nigerians to vote for him because he has the “competence and the capacity to turn around the country”.