…Challenges Him to Travel from Abuja to Lagos by Road Without Escorts
Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Jibrin Samuel Okutepa, has expressed outrage over recent comments by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, describing them as a gross misrepresentation of the suffering endured by ordinary Nigerians under the current administration.
In a strongly worded statement on Tuesday, Okutepa reacted to a video showing Senator Akpabio singing praises of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at a public event. In the clip, Akpabio is seen leading a song claiming that “things are getting better” under President Tinubu’s leadership.
Okutepa, SAN, described the act as “sycophantic praise-singing,” lamenting what he called the disconnect between political leaders and the everyday struggles of the Nigerian people.
“I do not know why most Nigerian politicians in leadership positions are far removed from the realities of the suffering masses. They tell the president that things are getting better under him when, in reality, they are not,” he said.
The legal luminary decried what he termed the “deliberate misleading” of the president by his close allies who refuse to tell him the hard truths about the country’s socio-economic challenges.
According to him, Akpabio’s performance at the event was a glaring example of the kind of sycophancy that has eroded accountability in governance.
“He sang like a choirmaster, praising Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and claiming that things are getting better. But for whom? Not for the ordinary Nigerian. The song ‘Things Are Getting Better’ is the worst insult to the poor and suffering masses of Nigeria,” he added.
Okutepa questioned whether the Senate President had cited any measurable improvements in the lives of Nigerians, listing multiple areas where the country continues to struggle, including security, food affordability, infrastructure, and healthcare.
“Are staple foods cheaper for the poor? Are security agencies no longer extorting money from Nigerians on the roads? Are our roads motorable? Are our healthcare facilities working? Is the rule of law respected?” he asked rhetorically. “Only the Senate President knows what is getting better.”
He further challenged Senator Akpabio to experience life as an ordinary Nigerian to understand the real state of the country.
“Let the Senate President travel from Abuja to Lagos by road without escorts. Or from Abuja to Makurdi, Gboko, Ogaja, Ugep, Calabar, and Uyo. Let him feel the condition of our roads, the insecurity, and the hardship, then come back and sing if truly things are getting better,” he said.
Okutepa warned that the continuous denial of the harsh realities by those in power was deepening public disillusionment and eroding national values.
“The ostentatious lifestyles of many in power do not inspire the younger generation to embrace hard work, honesty, or decency. Enough of these insults to the sensibilities of Nigerians,” he concluded.
The outspoken lawyer called on political leaders to reflect on their duties to the people and to be honest about the country’s dire situation, rather than perpetuate narratives that only serve a privileged few.
