Popular human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has issued a scathing criticism of Nigeria’s political leadership, declaring that the nation’s politics has fallen into the hands of “criminals and touts” who are indifferent to the country’s economic prosperity and the welfare of its people.
Falana made the remarks during his submission as a panelist at the 2025 National Conference of Egbe Amofin Oodua, held in Abeokuta. The conference, themed “Regional Justice, Security and Sustainable Development,” brought together legal luminaries and public policy experts from across the Southwest.
Comparing today’s political leadership with that of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Falana lamented the departure from intellectual and people-driven politics to what he described as an era dominated by “criminals and touts.”
> “During the days of late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, politics was in the hands of the intellectuals. But today, politics is in the hands of criminals and touts who are less concerned about investing in the economic prosperity of the country and the well-being of the citizens,” Falana said.
The human rights advocate did not mince words as he took aim at various Southwest governors, accusing them of presiding over bad governance, infrastructural collapse, and failure to address widespread poverty.
In a direct jab at Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, Falana criticised the governor’s decision to spend a staggering ₦63 billion on rehabilitating the Government House, calling it a reckless misuse of public funds.
> “Similarly, the governor of Oyo State, who comes to work from his house, now wants to rehabilitate government house with N63bn — an amount that is enough to provide good roads and electricity for the state,” he said.
Falana also condemned the Lagos State Government, citing the ₦45 billion spent on utility vehicles during the first term of the House of Assembly and a planned additional ₦20 billion for the same purpose.
> “We are always quick to shout about the misappropriation and reckless spending of public funds in Abuja, but in Lagos… the people are wallowing in poverty,” he noted.
Using the example of the recent flood crisis in Ikorodu, Lagos, which left several communities submerged, Falana lamented the absence of government intervention, pointing out that in saner climes, relief would have been provided by helicopters and emergency agencies.
He also decried the sorry state of education in the region, citing that no Southwest state is currently up to date in accessing the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) funds — despite Nigeria having over 18.3 million out-of-school children, including a significant number from the Southwest.
“Our education is in bad shape… Today, the roads in the Southwest are terrible. Infrastructurally, we are not there,” he stressed.
“Unfortunately, when they now want to flag off roads that they will not even complete, you will see them making so much noise, doing ceremony. There is need for a rethink.”
Falana’s comments have stirred reactions across the Southwest political landscape, with citizens and observers calling for urgent reforms and a return to people-centered governance.
