A viral video showing Nigerian Senator Adams Oshiomhole rubbing a woman’s foot aboard a private jet has ignited widespread outrage on social media.
It has been clarified that the woman in the clip is not Oshiomhole’s wife, as some online users had speculated.
Earlier claims suggested the woman was Iara Fortes, a Cape Verdean lawyer and former model, who is married to the senator.
However, findings indicate that she is a South African lifestyle influencer and adult-oriented content creator, known on TikTok as #leshaandagama and formerly on Instagram as #leshaan_dagama.
On her Instagram profile, she described herself as a “professional sugar baby” and cautioned broke people to “stay away.”
The revelation has intensified public anger, with many Nigerians questioning how a serving senator, frequently criticised for benefiting from Nigeria’s broken political system, could flaunt luxury so openly amid widespread economic hardship.
The short clip, which began trending on Monday, shows Oshiomhole rubbing the woman’s right foot inside a private jet, reigniting debates about political excess, elite privilege, and widening inequality in Nigeria.
Oshiomhole’s personal history has further fueled controversy.
A former textile worker, he was appointed general secretary of the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria in 1982. Following Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999, he rose to prominence as president of the Nigeria Labour Congress, leading nationwide strikes against rising fuel prices.
He contested the 2007 Edo State governorship election under the Action Congress alliance, initially losing to PDP candidate Oserheimen Osunbor.
After prolonged legal battles over electoral irregularities, tribunals and appellate courts overturned the result in 2008, declaring Oshiomhole governor. He was re-elected in 2012 and served until November 2016.
In June 2018, Oshiomhole became national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) but was suspended in November 2019 by APC leaders in Edo State—a decision later upheld by the party, a Federal High Court, and the Court of Appeal in June 2020.
He returned to elective politics in 2022, winning the APC primary for Edo North Senatorial District, and in February 2023, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared him winner of the senatorial election, defeating the incumbent PDP senator.
As of the time of reporting, Oshiomhole has not publicly responded to the viral footage.
