Onanuga assures that Tinubu truly feels the struggles of Nigerians and is committed to turning things around for the better.
President Bola Tinubu's spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, has said the President is not as heartless as social media makes him out to be.
Onanuga assures that Tinubu truly feels the struggles of Nigerians and is committed to turning things around for the better.
He emphasized on Channels Television's Sunday Politics that Tinubu is not "T-Pain," a nickname some people have been using to describe him online.
Onanuga said Tinubu's administration is focused on revitalizing Nigeria's economy, not causing harm to its citizens. According to the presidential aide, Tinubu is committed to "repairing the economy" despite the current challenges of galloping inflation.
He said, “The President is aware that the citizens are going to some difficulties. Well, the President does not read what is on the social media. Some people have also responded and they called the President a different name.
“As far as we are concerned, it is a non-issue. Some people just out of mischief say somebody is T-Pain; he is not T-Pain. The President has never shied away from telling Nigerians that he feels their pain. And he is working very hard to make sure that he gives them some relief so that things will get better and this country will enjoy more prosperity.
“If you check what he has been doing, things are pointing in that direction and the programmes that he has been implementing, we are beginning to see positive signs that things are getting better. Things were really bad when he came in.”
When asked in what areas, he replied, “In several areas.”
Onanuga highlighted that Nigeria is experiencing economic growth, with increasing revenues, which he described as a positive sign for the country's financial future.
“Despite the inflation, we are still recording economic growth, the first two quarters of this year recorded growth. Despite the inflation, revenue has increased,” he said.
T-Pain, the nickname, popularised on social media, symbolises the growing discontent with the Nigerian government's performance under President Tinubu.
It being used as a nickname for Nigerian President, with critics using it to express dissatisfaction with his economic policies.
The nickname for President Tinubu came from a satirical remix of T-Pain’s track ‘Buy U A Drank’ by Nigerian satirist Bello Galadanci, best known by his stage name Dan Bello.
‘Buy U A Drank’ was released in 2007 by American singer and songwriter Faheem Rashad Najm, known professionally as T-Pain.
But unlike the original version, Dan Bello’s remix titled ‘Nigerians, I Go Make You Poor,’ is about the economic hardship caused by the policies of President Tinubu’s administration, including fuel subsidy removal and flotation of te exchange rate.
The lyrics are as follows: ‘I go make you poor, all your fuel, I go make am mine. I’m in plane, you’re in pain, Wetin you go do
, na to just complain.’