Aisha Yesufu’s recent tweet criticizing President Bola Tinubu for being snubbed in South Africa has ignited a fierce reaction from the Presidency, hitting her hard.
On Wednesday, Yesufu posted that South African President Cyril Ramaphosa publicly humiliated and deliberately ignored President Tinubu during his inauguration ceremony, prompting a sharp response from the presidency.
She wrote: “My people say pikin wey no hear word for house, na for outside dem go disgrace am! Tinubu was disgraced once again in South Africa.”
But two presidential aides, O’tega Ogra, Senior Special Assistant on New Media, and Bayo Onanuga, have both responded with counter statements to refute the claims made by Aisha Yesufu regarding Tinubu’s alleged snub by Ramaphosa, offering an opposing viewpoint on the situation.
Ogra lambasted Aisha Yesufu’s remarks, accusing her of perpetuating “ignorance and shameful behaviour” in a bid to solicit likes and retweets, implying that her comments were attention-seeking and lacked substance.
Ogra clarified that the front row was designated for South African royal family members, and President Ramaphosa was summoned back to the stage before he could greet other dignitaries.
He also pointed out that Ramaphosa later greeted visiting heads of state in the second row, following the national anthem, providing context to refute claims of a snub.
Ogra wrote: “Aisha, you have the constitutionally guaranteed right to express yourself, but your consistent display of crass ignorance and shameful behaviour, 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.
“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.
“Madam Yesufu #AishaYesufu, your persistent ignorance and hatred create a very toxic mix, which you have shown a remarkable ability to embody and fully personify.
“A cautionary word: With or without your personal enmity, Nigeria will succeed. I truly hope you receive your “Elon Cheque” in full this month.”
Onanuga also criticized Aisha Yesufu and her supporters, characterizing them as a “vulgar and pessimistic mob” who remain resentful of their preferred candidate’s third-place result in the 2023 elections, suggesting that their criticism is motivated by personal grievances.
He wrote: “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.”
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