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Tinubu’s spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, attacks mourning Buhari’s supporters in social media post

Mr Adeyanju said, “Onanuga is too insensitive and immature.’’

• July 15, 2025
Bayo Onanuga
Bayo Onanuga

Amid mourning of former President Muhammadu Buhari, Bayo Onanuga, spokesperson for President Bola Tinubu, has attacked pro-Buhari supporters in a social media post on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, during preparation for the burial of Mr Buhari, an X user, @DeeOneAyekooto, recirculated a video of Mr Buhari’s campaign in Ibadan, Oyo State, describing it as an “unforgettable” experience.

However, Mr Onanuga, who was at the forefront of a heated debate on the role Mr Tinubu played in the emergence of Mr Buhari as president, took advantage of the post to hit back at mourning pro-Buhari supporters.

Reposting @DeeOneAyekooto’s post, Mr Onanuga said, “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 presidential spokesperson’s post countered a claim by a former secretary to the government of the federation, Boss Mustapha, that Mr Buhari’s integrity won him the 2015 presidential polls, downplaying the role Bola Tinubu’s party merger played.

Mr Mustapha suggested that the merger only contributed 20 per cent of the 15.4 million total votes polled by the late Daura, Katsina-born politician.

Mr Onanuga’s post followed an earlier scathing tribute to Mr Buhari by the Chairman of the editorial board, The Nation newspapers, Sam Omatseye, an ally of Mr Tinubu, who described Mr Buhari as a man “dead of ideas, selfish and hypocritical serial losers.”

Criticised for his politically charged post amid mourning of Mr Buhari, who passed away on July 13, Mr Onanuga deleted the post.

Reacting to Mr Onanuga’s post that saw his name trending on X on Tuesday, some netizens berated him as an insensitive and immature person.

A lawyer and activist, Deji Adeyanju, said, “Onanuga is too insensitive and immature. That post was totally unnecessary, and the timing was bad.”

An X user, @Dangbanamanager said “Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu’s right-hand man didn’t even wait for Buhari to be buried before tearing down his legacy. That tells you everything you need to know about the kind of people Tinubu surrounds himself with. No loyalty, no honour. And if you’re wondering what the South-West really thinks of General Buhari, look no further than silence while he was in power, disrespect the moment he’s gone.”

A spokesperson for former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, Paul Ibe, lashed out and Mr Onanuga, saying “It is such a shame that President Bola Tinubu’s aide, Bayo Onanuga, does not have respect for the dead. To imagine that @aonanuga1956 would post and then delete this ahead of the burial of Buhari.”

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