Singer Speed Darlington has told President Bola Tinubu that public admiration cannot be bought, warning that only those who received appointments or jobs from the government truly support him.

In a video posted on Saturday, August 23, the singer said, “Everything isn’t about the economy! There is more to leadership than the economy. See as everybody dey call your name, dey complain. Nobody loves you. Na only the ones you gave work, na them love you. Even your own tribe dey complain about you.”

READ ALSO:Before You Leave Office, Reform The Police — Speed Darlington Urges Tinubu

Darlington, an Igbo man, urged Tinubu to focus on police reform and respect for human rights. “The Nigerian police is an oppressive agency rooted in human rights violation. As a matter of fact, if they do not violate you, it’s as if they are not even doing their job.

“The idea of arrest before investigation is a pure human rights violation. You arrest and hold a person before you dey investigate. Please, before you leave office, please speak to your Yoruba brother IGP man,” he added.

Popular controversial singer Speed Darlington has called on President Bola Tinubu to reform the Nigerian Police Force, urging the government to prioritise citizens’ rights alongside economic growth.

In a video posted on Saturday, the entertainer criticised what he described as the police’s systemic human rights violations and oppressive practices.

“Mr President, before you leave office, whether you secure a second term or not, try your best to improve Nigeria. Everything isn’t about the economy!

“There is more to leadership than the economy. See as everybody dey call your name, dey complain. Nobody loves you. Na only the ones you gave work, na them love you. Even your own tribe dey complain about you,” he said.

READ ALSO:Obi Blames Tinubu For 70% Investment Crash

The singer, who identifies as Igbo, urged Tinubu to engage with the Inspector-General of Police and implement reforms.

“As an Igbo man, the advice I can give you so people will know your name and remember you for something good is to reform the police. Reform the police.

“The Nigerian police is an oppressive agency rooted in human rights violation. As a matter of fact, if they do not violate you, it’s as if they are not even doing their job.

“The idea of arrest before investigation is a pure human rights violation. You arrest and hold a person before you dey investigate,” he added.

READ ALSO:Tinubu Subsidises Kidney Dialysis Cost By 76% In Federal Hospitals

Darlington also recounted his personal ordeal with law enforcement, highlighting the system’s abuse of power.

“I was held for two months after the judge had ordered my release. FID held me for two months. According to my lawyer, the Nigerian law gives only 28 days for investigation.

“They held me for two months. What is the extra month for? Because they can. If you give them money, they oppress your enemy. I have experienced it,” he said.

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has issued a 7-day ultimatum to President Bola Tinubu, urging him to halt the “patently unlawful and unconstitutional” salary hike for political and public office holders, including the president, vice-president, governors, their deputies, and lawmakers.

In a letter dated August 23, 2025, and signed by its Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP condemned the proposed salary hike for President, govs, lawmakers as a “gross misuse” of the powers of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).

The organisation argued that the RMAFC’s constitutional mandates do not give it “unrestrained powers” to arbitrarily increase the salaries of politicians, especially at a time when over 133 million Nigerians are impoverished.

READ ALSO:‘Missing N6trn’: SERAP Drags FG To ECOWAS Court Over Unpublished NDDC Audit

The RMAFC Chairman, Mohammed Bello, had on August 18, 2025, reportedly stated the commission’s decision to propose a pay rise, claiming that the current salaries for these officials are “paltry” and have remained unchanged since 2008.

He noted that a CBN governor or a Director-General of an agency earns significantly more than the President, who currently earns ₦1.5 million monthly.

SERAP, however, countered this, stating that the proposed increase is not only unjustifiable but also an affront to the Nigerian people.

The organisation reminded President Tinubu of a judgment by Justice Chuka Austine Obiozor, which directed the RMAFC to review downward the salaries and allowances of members of the National Assembly to “reflect the economic realities in the country.”

READ ALSO:Security Votes: SERAP Gives Governors Seven Days To Explain Spending

SERAP also highlighted that the RMAFC has a constitutional duty to balance the interests of marginalized Nigerians against the interests of political office holders.

The advocacy group warned that if its demands are not met within seven days, it would “take all appropriate legal actions to compel your government and RMAFC to comply with our request in the public interest.”

SERAP also noted that while it supports an upward review of salaries for Nigerian judges, the current proposal for politicians is insensitive and unconstitutional.