"In America, cars don't get dirty or stuck in ditches; we have money in Ogun State, but bad roads and leaders are making us suffer."
Controversial singer Portable has criticised Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun over the poor condition of roads in Sango Ota and other parts of the state.
Mr Abiodun, during an inspection of the Denro-Isashi-Akute road on Monday, claimed that reconstructing roads across the state's 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) within eight years is unachievable.
The governor highlighted that his administration had constructed over 600 kilometres of roads, including interstate, intrastate, and inner-city routes.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Prince Dr. Dapo Abiodun, CON (@dapoabiodunmfr)
He further stated that each local government benefited from at least one or two road projects during his five-year tenure.
However, Portable recently returned to Nigeria after his month-long U.S. tour and called out the governor after his white Range Rover got stuck in a ditch along Sango Ota road.
In a series of Instagram stories, the Ogun-born singer berated Mr Abiodun for the state's deplorable roads and questioned his ability to lead if he can't provide basic infrastructure like motorable roads.
The 30-year-old asked the governor to step aside and make way for someone prioritising road repairs.
He said: "Earthly mothers, pray for my car to get out of this ditch. Dapo Abiodun, please help us fix our roads or step aside for someone who will. Let someone willing to. I heard that former Senator for Ogun West, Solomon Adeola, aka Yayi, said he wants to fix the roads, but you (Dapo Abiodun) told him not to because you're in power. Mr Governor, this road is wrong; look at my car, and I just returned from America.
"In America, cars don't get dirty or stuck in ditches. Dapo, step aside for Yayi to do it. We have money in Ogun State, but bad roads and leaders make us suffer. We're suffering because of bad roads. We have cars, but bad roads are our problem. Dapo, fix the roads before your term ends or allow Yayi to do it."
The 30-year-old noted that his hometown regressed significantly during Mr Abiodun's tenure. He added that if Mr Abiodun repairs the road, the community would appreciate him.
Emi Lokan
Furthermore, Portable expressed concern about the future of his yet-to-be shipped-in car, nicknamed 'Emi Lokan'.
The 'Zazuu Zeh' crooner lamented, "How will I drive my Emi Lokan car on these bad roads? I've bought a luxury car (Emi Lokan), and should people have to help me push it when it arrives? If one rich man doesn't suffer, others will not know. I'm suffering as a rich man because of the bad roads in Ogun State."
He also mentioned that he can't live in Lekki due to flooding, and the bad roads in Ogun, where he currently resides, are causing him frustration.
Additionally, he criticised the Nigerian government for the country's current economic situation.
"They have ruined this country; there's nothing to eat, and the youth are suffering. I'm already regretting my return to Nigeria. I just came back to check on my family, but based on what I've seen, I'm going back to America soon," Portable added.
America tour
Portable left Nigeria on 3 June for his American tour, but he returned on Monday due to unforeseen circumstances that paused his North American tour.
Portable's management, Super Mega Entertainment, stated that payments and tickets for the tour remain valid.
They assured fans that efforts are underway to bring the singer back for the tour.
The statement read: "The artist is currently returning to Nigeria to attend to an urgent family emergency. We appreciate our business associates' patronage and support of Portable Tour's success thus far. Plans are being put together to round off other cities and pending appearance gigs. We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding."