Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga has said that President Bola Tinubu is not T-Pain as commonly called on social media; instead, he feels the pain of Nigerians.
Onanuga refuted claims of the president not having feeling, asserting that the President understands the challenges Nigerians face and is committed to improving their situation.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, on October 27, 2024 Onanuga addressed social media criticism, specifically the nickname “T-pain” that some have assigned to Tinubu.
He dismissed this as “mischievous,” emphasizing that Tinubu has not taken office to bring hardship but rather to rebuild Nigeria’s economy.
Onanuga said, “Some people have also responded and called the President a different name. So, as far as I am concerned, it is a non-issue.
“Some people, out of mischief, just say somebody is a T-pain; he (Tinubu) 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 get more prosperity.”
He said despite galloping inflation, “we are experiencing economic growth, despite inflation, revenues have increased”.
Nigerians are grappling with the weight of unprecedented food inflation, and energy prices which have quadrupled in the last year.
Many people have blamed the twin policies of petrol subsidy removal and unification of forex rates for the high living costs that have assailed the middle class.
Citizens have staged two major protests to drive home their grievances against the Tinubu administration and pressured the All Progressives Congress (APC) government to reverse its “reforms” but the current administration has insisted that its policies are necessary and won’t be reversed.
