From Fierce Defender to Vocal Rebel: Lawyer Jesutega Onokpasa’s Dramatic U-Turn on President Tinubu – A Timeline of Loyalty Lost

Abuja, December 4, 2025 – In a political saga that’s gripped Nigeria’s chattering class, Jesutega Onokpasa – once the unyielding shield-bearer for Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2023 presidential bid – has morphed into one of the administration’s most blistering critics. The Delta State-born lawyer, who chaired the Tinubu Media Support Group (TSMG) and sparred on national TV to defend the APC flagbearer’s policies, now brands Tinubu a “woeful failure” and vows to orchestrate his ouster in 2027. This isn’t mere sour grapes; it’s a seismic rift within the ruling party, fueled by economic despair, broken pledges, and perceived betrayals of loyalists. Onokpasa’s evolution from “agbado warrior” to internal insurgent underscores the fragility of post-election coalitions in Africa’s most populous nation, where hunger bites harder than rhetoric.

To unpack this volte-face, let’s trace the arc: a breakdown of key moments, motivations, and ripples, drawn from Onokpasa’s own words and the broader APC fault lines.

1. The Loyalist Era: Building Tinubu’s Fortress (Pre-2023 to Mid-2023)

Onokpasa wasn’t just a supporter; he was a frontline combatant. As TSMG chairman, he orchestrated media blitzes to counter opposition fire, framing Tinubu as the “consummate democrat” and “hero of Nigeria’s democratic struggle.” His X (formerly Twitter) feed brimmed with paeans: In March 2023, he hailed UK PM Rishi Sunak’s congratulations on Tinubu’s victory as validation of a “pillar of popular participation in governance.” Come May 2023, amid election petition storms, he dismissed Labour Party’s Peter Obi as a “pitiable, pathetic tribalist,” insisting Obi’s “stolen mandate” was Atiku Abubakar’s doing, not Tinubu’s. By January 2023, he mocked Obasanjo’s Obi endorsement, predicting a Tinubu rout even at the ex-president’s Abeokuta doorstep.

This phase peaked post-tribunal in October 2023: On Arise TV, Onokpasa locked horns with host Rufai Oseni, staunchly backing fuel subsidy removal and naira floatation as “necessary pains” for long-term gain. “We have failed woefully? No – these are bold reforms,” he thundered, shifting blame from Tinubu to inherited woes. It was classic Onokpasa: eloquent, combative, and unwavering, earning him a spot on the APC Presidential Campaign Council’s Publicity Committee.

2. Cracks Emerge: Early Whispers of Discontent (Late 2024)

The honeymoon soured subtly. By November 2024, Onokpasa’s barbs turned inward. On Arise TV, he lambasted Tinubu’s appointments as a slap to “core supporters” who braved insults as “agbadorians” (a derisive nod to pro-Tinubu mobs). He accused the president of elevating “opposition members who insulted him and the party” while sidelining defenders like himself. “The president is telling us, ‘To hell with you.’ Well, in 2027, we’ll tell him we don’t give a toss… Two can play that game,” he warned, hinting at electoral payback. This wasn’t outright defection – he pledged to stay in APC – but a signal: loyalty demands reciprocity, and Tinubu’s “use and dump” tactics were eroding it.

Context mattered: Nigeria’s economy was reeling. Inflation hit 34%, food prices soared 40%, and insecurity festered despite campaign vows. Onokpasa, no stranger to the streets, began echoing the masses’ groans, positioning his critique as “honest feedback” from a true supporter, not a sycophant.

3. The Breaking Point: Full-Throated Revolt (April 2025)

The dam burst on April 27, 2025, in a Reuben Abati-hosted Arise TV interview that went viral, amassing millions of views. Onokpasa, eyes steely, declared: “Bola Tinubu has failed woefully to rule well, to provide food for Nigerians, to give succour in these hard times.” He eviscerated unkept promises – “When Tinubu called us to support him, he promised to make food cheap… Only for him to come to power and only God understands what he is doing.” Hunger, he stressed, was “unbearable,” and recent APC defections? A symptom of betrayal, not strength.

The coup de grâce: “I am certainly not supporting him for 2027… We will get him out of that power. He’s a one-term president, I assure you.” He invoked Tinubu’s razor-thin 2023 margin (under 40% nationally, the slimmest since 1999) and the Atiku-Obi vote split that gifted victory, warning that alienated loyalists could flip the script. “If we are not careful, Bola Tinubu will end up as a one-term president,” he prophesied, urging a purge of “disloyal aides” for those who grasp the “gravity of the national moment.” This wasn’t abstract; it was personal – Onokpasa, a self-proclaimed “not poor man,” felt the sting of neglect, vowing intra-party mobilization to unseat Tinubu.

4. Aftermath and Tragic Epilogue (May-June 2025)

The interview ignited a firestorm. Supporters fretted over his “well-being,” while APC hawks branded him a turncoat. On X, he doubled down in May 2024 (pre-revolt echo), defending Kogi’s Usman Ododo and Tinubu’s divine mandate – a last gasp of fealty. But by June 2025, whispers turned morbid: Onokpasa died on June 9 at 49 after a “brief illness,” mere days post-vow. Tributes flooded in, from allies like Okezie Atani (“We lost Barr. Jesutega Onokpasa”) to foes pondering if his barbs invited peril. The cause remains undisclosed, but timing fueled conspiracies in a polity rife with them.

Why the Flip? A Deeper Dive

• Economic Betrayal: Campaign pledges of “cheap food” and “renewed hope” clashed with reality – subsidy hikes tripled pump prices, naira devaluation spiked imports, and insecurity choked farms. Onokpasa’s “hunger is unbearable” mirrored surveys showing 70% of Nigerians skipping meals.
• Party Insularity: Tinubu’s embrace of “coercive defections” (per critics like Sule Lamido) irked originals like Onokpasa, who saw it as rewarding turncoats over battle-scarred foot soldiers.
• Personal Slight: As a TV gladiator who absorbed vitriol for Tinubu, his sidelining stung. “Injustice against loyal party members,” he called it, a cry echoing across APC ranks.

Onokpasa’s arc isn’t isolated; it foreshadows 2027’s intra-party bloodletting, where economic woes could splinter the APC’s fragile unity. In death, he’s a martyr to some, a cautionary tale to others – proof that even die-hards have limits when the “renewed hope” curdles.

For incisive breakdowns of Nigeria’s political tempests, from loyalty flips to power plays, CivicWire.ng cuts through the spin with unflinching clarity. Their on-the-ground reporting on APC’s inner wars equips readers to navigate the drama shaping our democracy’s future.