Social Media Clash: Presidency Denounces Aisha Yesufu’s Claims Against Tinubu

• The presidency condemned activist Aisha Yesufu after she claimed President Tinubu was “disgraced” by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, prompting sharp rebuttals from Tinubu’s aides accusing her of misinformation and negativity.

EKO HOT BLOG reports that a recent social media spat between activist Aisha Yesufu and President Bola Tinubu’s aides has intensified, following Yesufu’s criticisms of Tinubu at a recent international event.

The controversy erupted when Yesufu tweeted that President Tinubu was snubbed by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa during an inauguration event after his re-election.

EDITOR’S PICK

• NiMet Forecasts Weekly Thunderstorms: Check Affected Areas
• FG Initiates Verification of Private Jet Imports, Summons 80 Operators To Abuja
• Fubara Directs HLGAs To Lead 23 Council Areas After Tenure Expiration

Yesufu’s tweet claimed that President Tinubu had been “disgraced and shunned,” igniting a storm of reactions on social media. In response, Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga labeled Yesufu and her followers as “an uncouth horde of pessimists,” accusing them of harboring bitterness over their candidate’s third-place finish in the 2023 elections.

Onanuga criticized Yesufu for her quick judgment and persistently negative stance towards President Tinubu, contrasting it with the behavior of supporters of the second-place candidate in the elections. Additionally, O’tega Ogra, the Senior Special Assistant on New Media to President Tinubu, joined the rebuttal, accusing Yesufu of “crass ignorance” and focusing more on gaining social media traction than engaging constructively.

Ogra took pains to refute specific allegations made by Yesufu regarding the incident at the inauguration event, pointing out factual inaccuracies in her statements.

Onanuga stated, “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, 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.

FURTHER READING

• Akpabio Addresses 2027 Presidential Ambitions With El-Rufai Amid Posters
• June 12: Sail Away From The Turbulent Waters Of Protests – DSS Warns Nigerians
• Court Gives Date to Rule on LP’s Candidacy Tussle

“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…).”

Click below to watch our video of the week: