Presidential aide Bayo Onanuga has come under fire for a controversial tweet downplaying the importance of northern votes in Muhammadu Buhari’s 2015 and 2019 presidential wins.
Presidential aide Bayo Onanuga has come under fire for a controversial tweet downplaying the importance of northern votes in Muhammadu Buhari’s 2015 and 2019 presidential wins. The backlash erupted after an X user posted a video showing a large crowd at a Buhari rally in Ibadan, implying his popularity extended beyond northern Nigeria. Onanuga replied: “A video to rejig the memory of those who claimed only Buhari’s 12 million votes gave him the presidency in 2015 and 2019.” The tweet drew swift criticism from Nigerians who accused him of undermining the North’s electoral impact, a region widely credited for Buhari’s victories. Amid mounting backlash, Onanuga deleted the tweet without explanation, prompting further outrage. Many found the comment particularly inappropriate during the nation’s mourning of Buhari, who died Sunday in London. Critics labelled Onanuga’s remarks “insensitive” and “divisive,” urging greater responsibility from presidential aides in public discourse during such a solemn period.