By Okeke Eunice
Kenneth Okonkwo, a prominent member of the Labour Party (LP), has criticized President Bola Tinubu, asserting that he began making mistakes from the moment he assumed office.
Okonkwo expressed these views on Tuesday during an interview on Channels Television, where he discussed Tinubu’s first media chat.
The former Nollywood star pointed out that, over the past 19 months, the President has failed to provide Nigerians with a clear account of his actions.
He explained that democracy is not merely about leaders addressing the people, but about allowing the people to question their leaders.
“It’s not about speaking to the people; it’s about being held accountable by them. The Constitution mandates that citizens must be actively involved in their government. This involvement happens through their representatives, whether in the media or in discussions about policies, all of which must be subject to public scrutiny.
“Democracy isn’t just about doing what benefits the people; it’s equally about doing what the people desire,” he stated.
The Nollywood actor-turned-politician criticized Tinubu for blaming the organizers of palliative distribution exercises, which have led to stampedes and the tragic loss of many lives.
The Labour Party leader argued that the stampedes were caused by widespread hunger across the country, not the fault of the organizers. He further remarked that under Tinubu’s administration, the value of human life seems to have been reduced to around N5,000 and a few grains of rice.
“The President placed all the blame on the organizers—people who were simply trying to assist those in need. Let me make this clear: these stampedes occurred in the East, West, and North. This shows that hunger and hardship have become a nationwide problem, affecting Nigerians across all regions,” he said.
“They didn’t lose their lives in the stampede because they were poor—poverty exists everywhere. They died because they were desperately hungry. They knew that without that food, there would be nothing left for them at home, which is why they were forced to fight for N5,000 and a few grains of rice.
“In Tinubu’s government, the value of human life now seems to equate to N5,000 and a handful of rice.”
He pointed out that the Catholic Church has been distributing food palliatives during the Yuletide season for years without any incidents of stampedes. He emphasized that the severe hardship in the country is what drove an overwhelming number of people to attend the food distribution event.
He noted that the sheer size of the crowd left people feeling hopeless, compelling them to struggle desperately to secure a share of the relief items.
According to him, this situation is a clear indication of a failed state.
“Take a look at what happened in Abuja with the Catholic ministry. They’ve been distributing aid for decades, year after year. Why is this year’s situation different? It’s because people are now desperately hungry.
“The desperation was so intense that they were determined not to leave empty-handed, knowing that many others would go home with nothing. This drove them to fight to ensure they were among the beneficiaries. Struggling and even dying for the basic necessity of life—food—is a tragic sign of a failing state,” Okonkwo lamented.