Sam Amadi Slams First Lady Remi Tinubu for ‘Akara Money’ Remarks as Political Inducement
Former chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Sam Amadi, has criticised First Lady Remi Tinubu after she urged Nigerians to embrace small‑scale enterprises such as selling akara, roasting corn, and producing kulikuli. He described her statement as a calculated political move rather than a sincere effort to empower citizens.
Tinubu had said that starting an akara business requires little capital, and that the government had provided grants — not loans — to support such ventures. She added that she had personally assisted many others in the same way.
Reacting on 𝕏 (formerly Twitter) on Friday, Amadi wrote that the First Lady, like her husband @officialABAT, is a shrewd politician who knows what works in Nigerian politics: giving brand‑new cars to women party leaders and disbursing “akara money” to captive voters who will cast their ballots on the basis of inducement, ethnicity, and religion.
While acknowledging their political dexterity, Amadi warned that skill in winning elections does not translate into the ability to govern effectively. He cautioned that Nigeria will continue to stagnate and the poor will become poorer if such tactics remain the norm.
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