In a recent Senate session, Senate President Godswill Akpabio retaliated against former Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole by reviving a scandal involving Oshiomhole's alleged sexual misconduct. Akpabio referenced a viral video showing Oshiomhole massaging the feet of South African adult content creator Leshaan Dagama aboard a private jet. Oshiomhole had earlier opposed the confirmation of former FUOYE Vice-Chancellor Abayomi Fasina as ambassador, citing sexual misconduct allegations against him. This exchange highlights the deep intersection of sex and power in Nigerian politics.
The Freudian Connection Between Libido and Governance
Psychoanalyst Robert Michels once stated, “Everything in the world is about sex, except sex. Sex is about power.” This perspective is echoed by Zimbabwean journalist Fungai Machirori, who argues that studying the sexual histories of African leaders can reveal hidden political compasses. In Nigeria, the Senate floor became a battleground where Akpabio used Oshiomhole's alleged sexual indiscretions to undermine his political credibility.
Historical Roots of Elite Sexual Scandals
Professor Saheed Aderinto's book When Sex Threatened the State: Illicit Sexuality, Nationalism and Politics in Colonial Nigeria, 1900–1958 documents how colonial-era elites engaged in sexual commodification. He recounts the story of Ruth, a Warri native who funded her brothers' marriages through prostitution in Lagos, prompting a new tax regime for returnee sex workers in 1941. Similarly, in 1908, British assistant district commissioner Hubert Silberrad was involved in a scandal with a 12-year-old Kenyan girl named Nyakayena.
The Segilola Memoir: A Colonial-Era Sex Narrative
One of the most detailed accounts of elite sexual patronage is the autobiography of Segilola, a Lagos prostitute born in 1882. Her memoir, serialized in the 1930 newspaper Akéde Èkó, became a literary sensation. She earned substantial sums from powerful men, including a lover who spent £30 on her in three months. British anthropologist Karin Barber called it the first Yoruba novel.
Virility as Political Currency in Africa
University of Pennsylvania professor Wale Adebanwi, in his article “The Carnality of Power,” argues that obscenity helps explain the nature of power. In African politics, perceived sexual virility is often equated with dominance. Leaders like General Sani Abacha, who allegedly died after consuming Viagra and poisoned apples from imported prostitutes, and Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire cultivated images of libidinous behemoths. Conversely, former Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai faced political vulnerability when rumors of erectile dysfunction circulated in 2014, leading him to seek help from Nigerian prophet TB Joshua.
Modern Scandals: From Atiku to Obasanjo
In 2016, US Ambassador James Entwistle accused Nigerian House of Representatives members of soliciting prostitutes during an official trip. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo faced allegations from his son Gbenga in 2018 of having an affair with his daughter-in-law. Former President Muhammadu Buhari famously told his wife to belong to “the kitchen and the living room” during a state visit to Germany, projecting traditional masculinity. Even former US President Bill Clinton nearly lost his presidency over his affair with Monica Lewinsky.
The Diversionary Weapon of Sex
Akpabio's attack on Oshiomhole backfired when observers recalled his own scandal with former NDDC Managing Director Joi Nunieh, who alleged sexual harassment and claimed she slapped him in his guest house. As Adebanwi and Machirori suggest, examining the sexual histories of leaders provides insight into their political motivations. The Yoruba proverb cited by Akpabio—'Only a listless dog ignores its own soggy nose to bark about the cat's bathroom manners'—underscores the hypocrisy often at play.
