Aisha Yesufu’s recent social media comments criticizing President Bola Tinubu’s alleged reception at South African President Ramaphosa’s inauguration have sparked a vigorous response from the presidency.
Yesufu asserted on Twitter that Tinubu had been “disgraced” and sidelined during the event.
However, Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga swiftly countered these claims, describing Yesufu and her supporters as “an uncouth horde of pessimists” who harbor resentment over their candidate’s third-place finish in the 2023 elections.
Onanuga criticized Yesufu for making hasty judgments and maintaining a consistently negative stance towards Tinubu, contrasting her behavior with the supporters of the second-place candidate.
He accused her of not seeking constructive engagement but rather aiming for social media approval.
O’tega Ogra, Tinubu’s Senior Special Assistant on New Media, also joined in, accusing Yesufu of displaying “crass ignorance” and spreading misinformation to garner attention online.
He specifically refuted Yesufu’s allegations regarding the incident at the inauguration, pointing out factual inaccuracies in her claims.
“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,” Ogra emphasized.
He continued, “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.”
Ogra further clarified the sequence of events during the inauguration, highlighting that the first row was reserved for South African royalty and that President Ramaphosa’s actions were in line with protocol.
The presidency’s forceful rebuttal underscores the intensity of the debate sparked by Yesufu’s comments, highlighting ongoing tensions and divisions within Nigerian political discourse.