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

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.

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.

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’s words, “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…). (Vanguard)

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