“Kpai in Hunger”: Fayose’s Blunt Warning to Tinubu’s Tribal Loyalists

Businessman and social commentator Isaac Fayose has criticised Nigerians who continue to support President Bola Tinubu along ethnic lines despite rising petrol prices.

Fayose argued that Nigerians should judge governments by their impact on people’s lives rather than the ethnic identity of the person in power.

In a video shared online, he compared petrol prices under former President Muhammadu Buhari with those under Tinubu. He recalled that petrol rose from ₦87 to ₦180 under Buhari.

He then argued that the price later climbed dramatically under Tinubu.

His criticism was aimed particularly at supporters who, he claimed, were prepared to continue backing Tinubu because he is Yoruba.
“So you’re still there saying na Yoruba, I go vote for am,” Fayose said.

He ended the statement with the phrase, “Tribalism kpai… you’ll kpai in hunger.”

Beyond Tinubu
Fayose’s argument goes beyond petrol.
It is a criticism of the way ethnicity continues to influence political loyalty in Nigeria, even when economic conditions become difficult. His message is essentially that hunger does not recognise tribe.

The argument is familiar in Nigerian politics.

Supporters often defend political leaders on the basis of identity, while opponents insist that performance should be the main measure.

Fayose’s latest intervention puts the argument in particularly blunt terms.

His comments also come amid renewed pressure over petrol prices, with consumers and businesses facing higher transportation and operating costs.

However, his figures and political characterisations remain part of his argument and should not be treated as an independent assessment of the Tinubu administration’s performance.

The central question he raises is nevertheless difficult to avoid: At what point should ethnic loyalty give way to economic reality?

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For Fayose, the answer is already clear. He believes Nigerians who vote for a leader simply because the leader belongs to their ethnic group risk placing identity above their own economic interests.

ValidViewNetwork reports that Fayose’s remarks have added another sharp voice to the growing debate over fuel prices, ethnic politics and the choices Nigerians face ahead of the 2027 elections.