Akpabio's remark to "let the poor breathe" wasn't meant to belittle the suffering of Nigerians

Akpabio criticized the slanted narrative that has been created around the plenary statement that "let the poor breathe."Godswill Akpabio, President of the Senate, has responded to the criticisms that followed his statement during the plenary session on Tuesday, July 25, 2023.Following a joking comment made during consideration of a resolution put forth by Senator Akintunde Abiodun of Oyo State, Akpabio and his colleagues in the upper legislative chamber have faced harsh criticism. Abiodun injected humor into his delivering of the motion while urging the senate to block the proposed tariff increase by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and distribution firms (DisCos). He said to the responsible bodies to "let the poor breathe." In a video, President Bola Tinubu is credited with popularizing the phrase.