Nigerians React After Bayo Onanuga Called Clip of Tinubu’s Passionate Plea to Nigerians “Old Video”

• A prominent public official, Bayo Onanuga, suggested the president rejected the video shared on key presidential handles on Wednesday, August 7
• Legit.ng reports that the video of President Bola Tinubu acknowledging the economic hardships caused by the removal of the petrol subsidy trended on X
• However, Onanuga reacted and clarified that President Tinubu's last broadcast was on Sunday, August 4

Legit.ng journalist, Ridwan Adeola Yusuf, has over 9 years of experience covering public affairs.

FCT, Abuja - The X handles of the presidency and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday, August 8, posted a two-minute video of the Nigerian leader.

On the presidency's verified handle, the clip was tagged: 'Passionate plea from President Tinubu to all Nigerians'.

The video comes at a time when the nation is battling economic challenges and anti-hardship protests which started on August 1.

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But hours after the video was posted and the subsequent amplification by presidential aides, supporters of the administration, critics of the government, and several media outlets, Bayo Onanuga, the special adviser on information and strategy to President Tinubu, clarified that it is stale.

In a now-deleted tweet, Onanuga, a long-time ally of President Tinubu, wrote:

"Trending video of President Tinubu is an old video.

"A trending video of President Tinubu which came out on Wednesday is not a new video. It’s a clip from the broadcast he made last year. President Tinubu has not made any other public statement since his last broadcast on Sunday (August 5)."

Controversial Tinubu's post: Nigerians wade in

Onanuga's clarification elicited mixed reactions on social media. While some commenters criticised the presidential aide for allegedly 'undermining' his colleague who posted the video, others mocked him and the ruling administration.

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Legit.ng captures some comments on X below:

Ridwan Oke wrote:

"The Bayo Onanuga guy shouldn’t even be on the media team of a Local govt chairman. A man who lacks self-control, doesn’t know his personal opinion reflects on the President and behaves like a child whose sweet was taken away."

@Dontee said:

"Bayo Onanuga did that thing on purpose to get at @otegaogra and it's painful to see.

"All of you are serving one man so why would you render the effort of Otega to zero. That video has better managed things compare to the Sunday broadcast. Now you've come out to declare it Fake. Sad!"

Eniola Akinkuotu wrote:

"He (Onanuga) had to make the clarification because several media houses were reaching out to him to clarify. Also, one of the rudiments of journalism is accuracy. If a media house carries an old news item as if it is recent, it technically becomes fake news."

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@FS_Yusuf_ said:

"Tinubu’s Twitter handle posted a video of Tinubu addressing the protest, Bayo Onanuga just came up to say it is fake.

"Dear spirit of confusion in the presidential villa, please don’t stop."

Presidency busts fake text of Tinubu's broadcast

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Onanuga asked Nigerians to ignore the text of an alleged broadcast said to have been made by President Tinubu.

Onanuga said claims that the president has slashed his salary by 50 percent and that the Nigerian leader has decided to scrap the office of the first lady, Remi, are "totally false".

Source: Legit.ng