Veteran Nigerian entertainer and social activist, Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, has criticised Nigerians for what he described as a growing tendency to tolerate poor governance and celebrate leaders accused of corruption.

Charly Boy made the remarks while commenting on the state of the country, questioning why citizens continue to accept conditions such as poor infrastructure, inadequate electricity and rising living costs as normal.

The activist argued that Nigerians sometimes treat basic amenities, including good roads and reliable electricity, as privileges rather than necessities that citizens should demand from government.

He questioned the role of citizens in holding public officials accountable, arguing that a country cannot make meaningful progress when its people remain passive in the face of governance failures.

“Now tell me, can a nation exist without its citizens? No. Then what are the citizens doing?” he asked.

Charly Boy further criticised Nigerians for celebrating politicians despite allegations of corruption and poor performance, saying such behaviour contributes to the normalisation of failure in public leadership.

His comments come amid continuing concerns over the cost of living and economic hardship across the country. Although Nigeria’s headline inflation rate has recorded a decline, food prices and other essential expenses continue to place pressure on households.

The issue of accountability has also remained prominent, with government agencies continuing investigations and prosecutions linked to alleged corruption and other abuses of public office.

Charly Boy maintained that citizens have a responsibility to demand accountability from public officials and to become more conscious of the consequences of their choices and actions.

He stressed that meaningful improvement in Nigeria would require not only effective leadership and stronger institutions but also citizens who are willing to question poor governance rather than accept it as the norm.