Akpabio Tells Senate Colleagues Token Sent to Bank Accounts for Weekend Enjoyment as Nigerians Suffer

Senate President Godswill Akpabio is facing a firestorm of criticism after a video emerged showing him announcing during a senate hearing or official session that a token has been sent to the various bank accounts of senators to enable them to enjoy their weekends. The remark, delivered in a legislative setting meant for the discussion of national issues, has been condemned as outrageously tone deaf at a time when millions of Nigerians are struggling to survive.

In the video, Akpabio can be heard casually informing his colleagues that funds have been transferred to their accounts for the purpose of weekend enjoyment. The exact amount of the token was not disclosed, but the mere confirmation that senators are receiving special allowances on top of their already generous salaries and benefits has ignited a wave of anger across social media.

The context could hardly be worse. Nigeria is in the grip of a severe cost of living crisis. Fuel sells for over N1,000 per litre. The national minimum wage is N70,000, a sum that barely covers rent and food for a month for many families. Inflation has eroded purchasing power to the point where a keke rider can work all day and make just N50 in profit. Hospitals are underfunded, universities are frequently shut down by strikes, and the national power grid remains unreliable.

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Against this backdrop, the image of the Senate President using legislative time to announce weekend spending money for lawmakers has been met with disbelief and fury. One social media user captured the sentiment succinctly, writing that Nigerians are not angry enough to remove this criminal from power. The post, which directly labeled Akpabio a criminal, has been shared thousands of times, with many agreeing that the political class has lost all connection to the reality of ordinary citizens.

Nigerians argue that the comment reveals a culture of impunity and entitlement within the National Assembly. They point out that senators earn monthly salaries and allowances that run into millions of naira, far above what most Nigerians can earn in a year. To add a weekend token on top of that, especially one announced so casually in an official hearing, suggests that lawmakers see public funds as their personal piggy bank.

As of this report, Akpabio has not issued any clarification or apology. The presidency has also remained silent. But the video continues to circulate, and the anger is not fading. For many Nigerians, the Senate President’s words have become a symbol of everything wrong with the Tinubu government. A leadership that rewards itself while the people suffer. A government that issues threats of N100,000 fines for late tax filing but sends tokens to senators for weekend enjoyment. A system that seems designed to enrich the few at the expense of the many.

The question now is whether this latest outrage will push Nigerians closer to the edge that the social media user warned about. How much more will it take before the anger becomes enough?

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