“Tinubu has poverty mentality and abandonment issue.
This is not normal.”
Sociopolitical activist Aisha Yesufu has sharply criticized President Bola Tinubu after the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, renamed the renovated Abuja International Conference Centre (ICC) the “Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre.” Yesufu took to social media platform X to denounce the move, writing: “Tinubu has poverty mentality and abandonment issue. This is not normal” 16. Her remarks reflect broader discontent among critics who view the renaming as self-aggrandizement.
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The centre, originally built in 1991 under former military leader Ibrahim Babangida, underwent an N39 billion renovation ordered by Tinubu in 2024 after he deemed it “dirty, disorganised, and uninhabitable” during an ECOWAS Parliament summit 9. Wike defended the overhaul as necessary to restore Nigeria’s international image, accusing previous managers of mismanagement. However, the lavish spending and subsequent rebranding have drawn scrutiny amid economic hardships.
This marks at least the sixth federal asset in Abuja renamed after Tinubu since 2023, including an army barracks, polytechnic, and key roads 12. The trend has sparked bipartisan criticism, with former Senator Shehu Sani urging Tinubu to reject the honour, noting the centre’s origins under Babangida.