A stanch member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who was a prominent ally turned critic of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Jesutega Onokpasa, is dead.
Onokpasa, who was a prominent lawyer and political commentator known for his fiery defence of President Tinubu, died under yet-to-be-disclosed circumstances.
His death was announced on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, by Okezie J. Atañi, a member of the APC, via his social media account.
Onokpasa, who served on the APC’s Presidential Campaign Council in 2023 and was a key member of its Publicity Committee, was a familiar face on Nigerian television for his strong support of the Tinubu’s administration.
One of his most notable public appearances took place in October 2023 during a heated debate on Arise Television with Rufai Oseni, during which he stoutly defended President Tinubu’s policies against criticisms of economic hardship and insecurity.
However, the relationship between Onokpasa and the President Tinubu administration later nosedived, a development that turn Onokpasa to a critic of the same government he earlier defended.
In what later appeared a complete U-turn, Onokpasa in an interview he granted Arise May 2025, declared that Tinubu has failed woefully in ruling Nigeria and may end up as a one-term president.
Onokpasa cited the worsening insecurity, high cost of living, severe economic difficulties and Tinubu’s disregard for loyal party supporters as reasons for his disillusionment.
