APC CHIEFTAIN JESUTEGA ONOKPASA DIES UNDER UNDISCLOSED CIRCUMSTANCES
Jesutega Onokpasa, the fiery lawyer and political commentator who became a familiar face on Nigerian television talk shows, has died.
The news broke early Tuesday, 10 June, when pro-All Progressives Congress (APC) activist Okezie J. Atañi announced the death on X (formerly Twitter). Neither Atañi nor Onokpasa’s family has released details about the cause or location of death, and no formal statement had been issued by press time.
A member of the APC Presidential Campaign Council during the 2023 elections, Onokpasa served on the party’s Publicity Committee and was for years a staunch defender of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. His combative on-air style—most memorably during an October 2023 clash with Arise TV presenter Rufai Oseni—earned him both admirers and critics.
Break with Tinubu
In a dramatic reversal this May, Onokpasa told a national TV audience that “Tinubu has failed woefully” and signalled he would not back the president for a second term in 2027, citing worsening insecurity, economic hardship and what he called the administration’s neglect of loyal party foot soldiers.
Tributes and shock
News of his passing ricocheted across social media, especially within pro-APC circles:
- “Jesutega Onokpasa. Rest in Peace,” wrote influencer Theo Abu.
- Political commentator Emmanuel Umeh added, “I knew he wasn’t feeling too well after his last interview. My condolences to his family.”
- Businessman Akin Olaoye tweeted: “I enjoyed watching your spats on TV with Rufai and Reuben Abati. Praying for friends & family.”
Onokpasa was widely regarded as one of the APC’s most aggressive media surrogates until his recent split with the party leadership. His death silences a prominent—if polarising—voice in Nigeria’s political commentary landscape.
Further details, including funeral arrangements and an official cause of death, are expected to follow.
