Activist, Aisha Yesufu’s recent criticisms of President Bola Tinubu have sparked a heated exchange on social media, with the presidency issuing a robust response.

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The controversy erupted when Yesufu alleged on Twitter that Tinubu had been disgraced and shunned by South African President Ramaphosa during an inauguration event following his re-election.

In a sharp rebuttal, Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, tagged Yesufu and her supporters as “an uncouth horde of pessimists” who remain embittered over their candidate’s third-place finish in the 2023 elections.

Aisha and her uncouth horde of pessimists are always quick to rush to judgment with any whiff of what appears to them to be negative to the leader of Africa’s biggest democracy. More than a year after the 2023 election, in which their candidate came third, they remain incurably…

— Bayo Onanuga (@aonanuga1956) June 19, 2024
Onanuga accused Yesufu of hasty judgment and maintaining a consistently negative attitude towards Tinubu, contrasting her behavior with that of supporters of the second-place candidate.

My people say Pikin wey no hear word for house na for outside dem go disgrace am!
Tinubu Disgraced Once Again In South Africa
— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) June 19, 2024

Similarly, O’tega Ogra, Tinubu’s Senior Special Assistant on New Media, joined in the criticism, accusing Yesufu of displaying “crass ignorance” and engaging in behavior aimed at garnering social media approval rather than constructive engagement.

Ogra refuted specific allegations made by Yesufu regarding the incident at the inauguration event, highlighting factual inaccuracies in her claims.

Ogra’s words, “Aisha and her uncouth horde of pessimists are always quick to rush to judgment with any whiff of what appears to them to be negative to the leader of Africa’s biggest democracy. More than a year after the 2023 election, in which their candidate came third, they remain incurably bitter and toxic, more than the supporters of the man who came second.”

Similarly, SSA to TInubu on digital media, O’tega Ogra said, “Aisha, have the constitutionally guaranteed right to express yourself, but your consistent display of crass ignorance and shameful behavior, seemingly aimed at garnering likes and retweets, in the name of your disdain and hatred (which you profess at any given opportunity) for Nigeria is shameful to say the least.

“For the record: 1. That first row at today’s inauguration was reserved for South African kings/royalty. 2. The South African President wasn’t expected to start greeting dignitaries at the time of the video you shared and he was respectfully recalled to the podium by the inauguration compere (see video below). 3. Immediately after President Ramaphosa finished the anthem, he went ahead to greet the visiting presidents who were all seated in the second row (similar to the way visiting presidents were seated in the third row during Nigeria’s own inauguration on May 29, 2023…)

Last updated on January 11th, 2025 at 12:15 pm