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President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has come under heavy criticism for comments deemed disrespectful to the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, who died on Sunday in London after a prolonged illness.
TJ News Nigeriareports that the backlash follows Onanuga’s reaction to a post on social media, where a user shared a video of a large crowd at Buhari’s campaign rally in Ibadan, suggesting that the former president enjoyed nationwide support beyond the North.
Onanuga’s Controversial Comment
In his response to the video, Onanuga wrote:
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“A video to rejig the memory of those who claimed only Buhari’s 12 million votes gave him the presidency in 2015 and 2019.”
The remark immediately sparked outrage from Nigerians, who accused him of downplaying Buhari’s political influence and showing disrespect to the deceased, especially as the nation is still mourning the former leader.
Shortly after the criticism escalated, Onanuga deleted the tweet without issuing any explanation.
Phrank Shaibu Hits Back at Onanuga
Reacting to the development, Phrank Shaibu, Special Adviser to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Public Communication, lambasted Onanuga for allegedly dragging Buhari’s name into what he described as a propaganda war.
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Shaibu, in a strongly worded statement, questioned why Tinubu’s presidency was still “trembling at Buhari’s shadow and his 12 million votes” if the former president was truly irrelevant.
Shaibu’s Full Statement:
“@aonanuga1956, this is how low the Tinubu presidency has sunk: Fighting ghosts, because it can’t face Nigerians.
Blaming a dead man, because the living one in Aso Rock is clueless. If @MBuhari was so irrelevant, why is your presidency still trembling at his shadow and his 12 million votes?
Why are you dragging his corpse into a propaganda war just to defend a regime choking under its own incompetence?
Let’s be honest: Tinubu has failed in record time. His ‘renewed hope’ is now renewed hunger.
And his legacy is already hiding behind the coffin of his predecessor.”
Shaibu further accused Tinubu’s administration of failing to address economic challenges, including rising inflation, a weakening naira, and worsening power supply, while resorting to “cheap PR wars” instead of governance.
Nigerians React Online
The incident has triggered a flurry of reactions on social media. Many Nigerians described Onanuga’s comment as insensitive and politically reckless, given Buhari’s recent demise.
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Some users insisted that Tinubu’s media team must have received clearance from the presidency before making such a statement. Others demanded Onanuga’s immediate removal to restore dignity to the office of the president.
Call for Onanuga’s Sack
Shaibu challenged President Tinubu to prove his innocence in the matter by sacking Onanuga immediately.
“If @officialABAT didn’t approve the gutter-level assault on Buhari’s legacy, let him prove it: sack @aonanuga1956 now. Otherwise, Nigerians will know this isn’t just indiscipline—it’s a cowardly hit job signed by the President himself,” Shaibu declared.
Background
Late President Muhammadu Buhari served as Nigeria’s democratically elected leader from 2015 to 2023 and previously as a military Head of State from 1984 to 1985. He passed away on Sunday in London after battling an undisclosed illness, and funeral arrangements are yet to be officially announced.
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