‘Inflation Not On Private Jets’: Sowore Says Oshiomhole, Seen Rubbing Mistress’ Foot Mid-Flight, Is Clueless On Nigerian Hardship

Human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has criticized Senator Adams Oshiomhole, representing Edo North, for being disconnected from the economic realities of ordinary Nigerians.

He described the lawmaker as someone who speaks from “30,000 feet” and can afford to rent a private jet.

Sowore’s comments came in response to a SaharaReporters’ report on a viral video showing the senator and former Edo State governor rubbing a woman’s foot aboard a luxury private jet.

The clip has circulated widely on social media, attracting criticism and raising questions about the lifestyle of public officials amid ongoing economic hardship in Nigeria.

SaharaReporters confirmed that the woman in the video is a South African lifestyle influencer and adult-oriented content creator, not Oshiomhole’s wife as had been previously speculated online.

The influencer, who previously used the Instagram handle @leshaan_dagama and the TikTok handle @leshaandagama, has described herself as a “professional sugar baby” and encouraged broke people to “stay away.”

Speaking on the senator’s statements about food prices, Sowore said: “Exactly. When ‘Comrade’ Oshiomhole says food prices have dropped, he’s not speaking from the marketplace, he’s speaking from 30,000 feet.

“A man who can casually rent a private jet for indulgent personal errands (just so he could massage the foot of an only fans South African female) lives in a different economic universe altogether.

“How would someone so insulated from daily struggle know the price of garri, rice, or cooking oil?”

“Hunger doesn’t register in first class, and inflation is invisible when your life runs on private jets and a dirty privileged filled lifestyle,” he added.

In December 2025, Oshiomhole expressed strong support for President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms, asserting that despite the hardship currently experienced by Nigerians, the administration was on the right path to recovery.

Speaking on Channels Television, the lawmaker acknowledged the growing public discontent over the rising cost of living and the closure of businesses since the removal of fuel subsidy in 2023, but urged Nigerians to be patient and maintain trust in the reforms.

“There is no question that there are huge challenges. But if you look at the balance sheet that this president inherited, massive liabilities arising from the very reckless misuse of ways and means, you’d understand why these steps were necessary,” he said.

Describing the economic recovery process as akin to a medical operation, he noted, “It’s a work in progress. The surgeon has gone to carry out the surgery. He understands that there is a level of pain; there has to be pain. But the good news is that the patient is healing. Maybe he could heal faster, but there can be no question that the patient is healing.”

He pointed to the exchange rate unification as a painful but critical decision to align supply with demand, warning that failure to do so could have plunged the country into a Zimbabwe-like economic collapse.

According to him, President Tinubu deliberately chose to make all the difficult but necessary decisions in his first term to pave the way for long-term recovery.

Oshiomhole dismissed the idea of quick fixes, noting that meaningful governance requires time and a deep understanding of inherited challenges.

“There is no magic to governance. I don’t think any Nigerian who understands the macroeconomic environment that was inherited by this government would expect that, in 24 months, everything would be fixed,” he said.

“Truly, this economy was badly mismanaged. This is not to blame anyone, but to speak to fact. I can say the worst is over, and we are going to begin to witness improvements in standard of living.”

Critics note that Oshiomhole, a former labour leader and ex-APC national chairman now serving as senator, has long portrayed himself as a champion of workers’ rights, making his lavish display in the video particularly controversial.