Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, has asserted that a video recently circulated by the State House, which features President Tinubu appealing to Nigerians for patience, is not new.
The video, shared on the official X and Instagram accounts of Tinubu and the Presidency on August 7, 2024, at 3:29 pm and 3:30 pm, respectively, shows the President urging citizens to endure the current economic challenges as the country transitions from hardship to improvement.
In the video, Tinubu acknowledges the difficulties caused by the removal of the fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira. He describes the Nigerian public’s suffering as exacerbated by what he calls an “avoidable lag” between the subsidy removal and his administration’s plans.
However, Onanuga later took to his official X handle to clarify that the video posted by the Presidency is actually from a broadcast made in 2023, not a recent statement. Onanuga noted that Tinubu has not issued any public statements since his last broadcast on Sunday.
He stated, “The trending video of President Tinubu that surfaced on Wednesday is not new. It is a clip from a broadcast he made last year. President Tinubu has not made any other public statement since his last broadcast on Sunday.”