By Ghazali Ibrahim
Nigerian rapper Odumodublvck has urged citizens to hold their local representatives accountable rather than directing every grievance at the President, arguing that the country’s political structure has conditioned people to believe all power resides at the top.
Speaking in a recent interview with BET, the rapper criticised what he described as a widespread misunderstanding of governance in Nigeria.
“You have a local government, you have your councillor, you have your senator, the guys that are directly in charge of you, but when anything happens, they say ‘ah, Tinubu’,” he said.
“You’re a small fish to the president. The guy that is supposed to take care of you is the one opposite you.”
He warned that centralising power in one office makes the system vulnerable to undue influence and abuse.
“If he’s a good man, they can take away your liberty by threatening him,” he explained.
“What if he’s a man who waited 20 years for a child, becomes a governor, and they tell him, ‘If you don’t do this corruption, we’ll harm your daughter’? Even if he wants to help the people, he doesn’t have a choice.”
Odumodublvck stressed that democracy becomes fragile when sovereignty is concentrated in one person, adding: “If the sovereignty is in the hand of one man, there’s a problem. I’ve said what I need to say.”
The rapper also addressed racial struggles in the United States, saying Black Americans must begin to embrace progress instead of remaining bound to historical injustices.
“We cannot deny that America is now a better place for Black people,” he noted.
“Black people have suffered in America, yes, but it’s time to step away from the victim mentality. We now have Black-owned businesses, a former Black president, people doing well in sports – now is the time to fly.”
While acknowledging the painful legacy of racism overseas, he argued that many Africans have endured harsher hardships including oppression by their own leaders.
Odumodublvck, known for his politically charged commentary and influence among youth, concluded by encouraging Black people globally to seize emerging opportunities and push for better leadership at every level.
