Tinubu’s media team in crisis as Onanuga deletes tweet about president

Social media backlash has forced Bayo Onanuga, President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, to delete his controversial tweet about the president.

The development underscored the perceived conflict among the president’s media handlers with Onanuga being at the centre of the conflict.

On Wednesday, August 7, 2024, O'tega Ogra, the Senior Special Assistant on Digital/New Media to the President posted a video of Tinubu appealing to Nigerians.

In the video, Tinubu acknowledged the hardship Nigerians are going through due to fuel subsidy removal.

He also admitted that an “avoidable lag” between subsidy removal and his “good and helpful plans” compounded Nigerians’ pains.

When President Tinubu posted the video on his official X handle almost two hours later, he asked Nigerians to bear with his government, saying he was working to address the temporary pains they were going through.

The caption reads, “As we navigate through these temporary pains, please remember that every effort is being made to ensure a stable and prosperous future for all Nigerians. Our collective strength and unity will pave the way for a brighter tomorrow. We are in this together, and we will overcome.”

Even though it's an old clip, the president's message aligns with the situation of the country, prompting many Nigerians to mistake the video for a new address and follow-up message to Tinubus' earlier nationwide address to protesting youths.

However, hours later, Onanuga countered Tinubu and Ogra’s posts, saying the trending video was a clip from the president’s 2023 broadcast address.

In his now-deleted tweet, Onanuga said, “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.”

Onanuga’s controversial tweet sparked criticism as Nigerians blasted the President’s media team for being disorderly and uncoordinated.

Previous disagreements

Members of President Tinubu’s media team have a history of opposing one another on social media.

In May, the president’s spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, dismissed a statement by Onanuga as fake and authorised.

Presidential media aides, Bayo Onanuga and Ajuri Ngelale. Pulse Nigeria

Onanuga, had in his statement, announced that Tinubu would address a joint session of the National Assembly on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, to mark his first anniversary in office.

However, despite the statement being labeled fake, the ex-newspaper executive refused to take down the statement on X.

Also, in January, when Tinubu relieved Tunde Irukera of his appointment as the Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) and Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Onanuga disagreed with the word Ajuri used in announcing the development.

In a statement signed by him, Ajuri had said President Tinubu dismissed Irukera and Okoh “In conformity with plans to restructure and reposition critical agencies.”

In a counter-statement, Onanuga said Irukera was relieved of his duties not dismissed.