First lady Oluremi Tinubu on Friday lamented that though his husband, President Bola Tinubu and other political leaders are respected and honoured abroad, Nigerians disrespect, mock and bully them. 

In a Facebook post on Friday, Mrs Tinubu said politicians incite Nigerians to hate and disrespect her husband and other leaders in the country.

Mrs Tinubu said, “Most of our leaders are highly respected and honored abroad, yet many Nigerians fail to value what they have because of hatred and the narratives planted in their minds by political paymasters, which have also hardened their hearts.” 

She added, “They bully these leaders, speak ill of them, demean them, curse them, and even seize upon their mistakes to drag them across social media, ridiculing and mocking them publicly –  Nigeria is built on love, unity, and collective effort toward shared success.”

Responding to Mrs Tinubu’s Facebook post, a Facebook user, Shamsudeen Tatah, said “Respect abroad doesn’t erase accountability at home. Nigerians are not “haters” for demanding results, they’re citizens reacting to hardship, broken promises, and poor governance. Criticism is not bullying; it’s a democratic right. Love for country means speaking truth to power, not worshipping leaders while people suffer.”

Another Facebook user, Livinus Otutu, said “First lady, criticizing leaders isn’t bullying, it’s citizens exercising their rights. Demanding accountability isn’t being a hater, it’s patriotism. Love for country means calling out injustice, not turning a blind eye. Respect on the global stage doesn’t mean ignoring failures at home.”