A video of young men from Akwa Ibom State pleading for financial assistance from Miss Iniabasi Akpabio, the daughter of Senate President Godswill Akpabio, has gone viral on social media, sparking widespread discussion about economic hardship and political culture in Nigeria.
In the clip, shared on Monday, November 9, 2026, a group of youths approach the young woman and chant repeatedly: “Mummy, help your son. Mummy, help us. Our mummy, please.” The poster’s caption describes the scene as Akwa Ibom youths begging for money from the Senate President’s daughter, adding comments such as “Oh! Abasi ubok mfo o” (a local expression of dismay) and noting “the level of begging.”
Iniabasi (also styled IniAbasi) Godswill Akpabio, reported to be around 28 years old, serves as the Akwa Ibom State Director of the City Boy Movement, a pro-All Progressives Congress (APC) and pro-Tinubu youth organisation. She was appointed to the role by the movement’s national leadership in April 2026 as part of efforts to strengthen grassroots mobilisation in the South-South region ahead of the 2027 elections.
The video has drawn mixed reactions online. Some users described it as heartbreaking evidence of the struggles facing Nigerian youths, with one post stating: “This is what Nigerian youths have become. So heartbreaking!” Others criticised the dynamic of adult men addressing a woman in her late twenties as “mummy” while seeking handouts, linking it to broader concerns about poverty-driven politics and dependency. Similar criticism arose earlier in 2026 when a video showed supporters chanting “Na our mama be this” while Iniabasi distributed APC-branded items such as caps and T-shirts.
This is not the first time interactions involving Iniabasi Akpabio and local supporters have gone viral. Previous clips of her engaging with City Boy Movement members and distributing materials during political outreaches generated both praise for her mobilisation efforts and condemnation from critics who viewed the praise and deference as symptomatic of deeper socioeconomic challenges.
As of Monday afternoon, neither Iniabasi Akpabio nor the Senate President’s media office had issued a public response to the latest video. The footage continues to circulate rapidly, amplifying conversations about youth unemployment, economic pressures in Akwa Ibom and beyond, and the personal visibility of political families in grassroots politics.
The incident underscores ongoing tensions in Nigeria’s political landscape, where personal appeals to the families of prominent figures often intersect with public expectations for empowerment and support.
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