BY AKINROPO OLUFEMI
SUNDAY EDITORIAL – 15/06/2025
TINUBU’S POSTHUMOUS AWARDS GAFFE ON LIVING LEGENDS IN HIS JUNE 12 SPEECH : BAYO ONANUGA AND DANIEL BWALA HAVE PROVEN TO BE HIGHLY INCOMPETENT BUT ONLY FUNCTIONING AS ATTACK DOGS AGAINST OPPOSITIONS
” We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit – Aristotle. ”
Since Tinubu’s administration came on board, his loyalists and representatives are used to making avertable errors, and indiscriminately. Recently, despite displaying tendencies, many of which seemed to have subjected the country to what could be likened to an outlandish national discomfiture and egregious humiliation, surprisingly, the duo of Onanuga and Bwala are still sitting tight in their respective offices and parading themselves as Special Advisers on Information and Strategy to Mr. president. In a saner clime, by now, without being persuaded, they would have resigned and pensively tendered a public apology to Nigerians. At their levels, some ludicrous mistakes are absolutely impermissible ; hence, the presidency shouldn’t have treated the contemptible faux pas that was witnessed on Thursday with levity.
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It is on record that while the president was reading his speech, which was expected to have been drafted, edited, and thoroughly scrutinized by Onanuga, Bwala, et al, at a juncture, he made a startling remark while conferring posthumous awards on renowned June 12 activists and other democratic martyrs, many of whom were either incarcerated by Abacha or assassinated by his sanguinary and bloodthirsty lieutenants often led by sergeant Barnabas Jabila, also known as sergeant Rogers. Shockingly, alongside other deceased icons, Tinubu also included pa Reuben Fasoranti and Dr. Edwin Madunagu. Immediately I read the speech, I knew the president’s media handlers have committed an indecorous national goof because, even though I wasn’t so sure of the status of Dr. Edwin Madunagu, I was more than certain that the erstwhile Afenifere leader, pa Reuben Fasoranti, is still alive.
Why should Onanuga and Bwala be absolved of the blame after their incompetence necessitated the president’s horrifying gaffe ?. To begin with, who drafted the president’s speech?. Again, who are the team members who edited the speech?. Assuming the duo (Onanuga and Bwala) were too preoccupied with throwing tantrums at Peter Obi and other perceived adversaries of their principal on social media platforms like they’ve always savoured doing, didn’t they also peruse the speech before it was given to their boss?. At their levels, and judging by the virtue of the offices they are occupying and how sensitive their responsibilities are, shouldn’t they have perused the speech individually a minimum of 5 times, and collectively twice?. Assuming they neither prepared nor perused the speech, couldn’t they have hired able hands and professionals who could have done a hitch-free job devoid of national cataclysms in a form of unprofessionalism capable of denting Nigeria’s already tenuous image, and even to the global sphere as witnessed on Thursday?.
While my focus wouldn’t be directed particularly at Bwala because he was obviously drafted into the media enclave few months ago by Mr. president, and whose intentions can only be known by him (Bwala) alone, I must say that I am highly disappointed in Onanuga to say the least. As a veteran journalist for over 4 decades, Onanuga is not only a journalist-cum-politician ; he was one of the leading voices in Nigeria who championed journalism to a covetable profession it is today. During Abacha’s regime, Onanuga alongside other younger journalists like Dele Momodu, were the first breed of young revolutionaries who embedded the traits of both journalists and activists. Thanks to them, journalism and activism in Nigeria have become siamese twins. Today, they’ve succeeded in laying down a solid foundation for the upcoming generation to build upon. Hardly can you practice journalism today without having a bit of rascality an average activist possesses.
Going by Onanuga’s antecedents in journalism and activism, I wasn’t surprised seeing Tinubu conferred on him a national award of Commander Order of Niger, CON, on democracy day. Unfortunately, ever since he was appointed by Tinubu as his media aide, Onanuga seems to have deviated from the ethical principles upon which journalism is entrenched. More often than usual, he allows his adrenaline and testosterone to dictate his reaction to political issues whenever he’s defending his paymaster. He is highly intolerant to criticisms whenever his principal is criticized ; even when it’s objective criticism. On numerous occasions, he had been caught on social media brandishing and displaying an intolerable level of emotional volatility while reacting to critics. He critiques every comment that emanates from opposition parties, and never hesitates to castigate individuals who issue dissenting opinions against his principal’s reforms and anti-democratic schemes, many of which continue to plunge millions of Nigerians into poverty on daily basis.
Never in history had any president’s aide on media displayed the levels of aggression, nonchalance and insensitivity like Onanuga’s. He does so virtually on daily basis and he seems to derive joy lacerating oppositions’ bone marrows with verbal sledgehammers. He has suddenly become a master strategist who specializes in taunting just anyone on social media, and using uncouth and sophisticated languages. Repeatedly, he continues to address Nigerians and critics like a dictator whose intolerance to different opinions is inimitable. Surprisingly, despite being 68, he seems not to have learned from his principal, Tinubu, the stratagems he must adopt if he wants to keep his enemies closer, and also how to pretend and not react to every situation. Perhaps, he needs to be told or taught that, silence sometimes is golden, and even a parrot has a quiet time and it doesn’t squawk every time.
By far, Onanuga has inherited more enemies for his principal’s administration than his principal, Tinubu, has done. If elections were to be conducted today, and Tinubu losses, Onanuga definitely is one of architects Tinubu and APC should hold responsible for the party’s catastrophic outing. Such is the level of hatred Nigerians have for Tinubu’s administration should Onanuga’s excesses, intolerance, and unprofessionalism be considered. Onanuga, Akpabio, and Nyesom Wike have shattered the emotions of Nigerians owing to the way they continue to pour salts to their fresh wounds while also showing insensitivity to their plights, and at all time.
Unlike their principal, Tinubu, who displays in the public idiosyncrasies of a caring father and leader (even if he’s pretending), the trio of Onanuga, Akpabio and Wike, have given Nigerians more than enough reasons to vote Tinubu out in 2027. I’m sure many Nigerians would prefer to see Tinubu lose, just to ensure characters like those aforementioned trio don’t return to power in 2027. Sadly, does Tinubu know this fact?. If he does, may be he’ll do well by not allowing the trio to lead his re-election campaigns. But, smiles!!! If they don’t lead Tinubu’s re-election campaigns, who will?. As of today, the three of them remain solid forces to reckon with in this administration.Tinubu believes in their opinions, and to the death. But, in reality, they are causing Tinubu more harm than good. Tinubu is a lamp ; he can’t see himself through himself. Perhaps, only Remi, Tinubu’s wife, can give him a superior argument before he can have a rethink about the three political musketeers.
Even though the presidency has issued a public apology regarding the gaffe made by the president on democracy day, Onanuga shouldn’t have gone unpunished. He has proven he’s only interested in the portfolio and all the paraphernalia of offices he’s enjoying. Even a media aide to a local government chairman shouldn’t be pardoned for facilitating such a pitiful situation. Onanuga seems to have left the primary role he was appointed for, only to be engrossed with frivolities like launching a plethora of scathing attacks on Nigerians, critics, opposition parties, etc.
It’s a national disgrace, and the perpetrators like Onanuga shouldn’t be spared that easily. A presidential speech is one which should have been written, edited, perused, and over again, by more than 10 different professionals – like a week before its final release. If not for incompetence and lackadaisical attitudes, what other excuse(s) can Onanuga tender?. If you are being paid handsomely for whatever seat you are occupying, then, you should be able to deliver when it matters most. Or, are presidential speeches written everyday?. What’s the justification?. Or, is Onanuga trying to say he doesn’t know who Pa Reuben Fasoranti and Dr. Edwin Madunagu are?. Onanuga was also a commanding gladiator when those two icons were fighting Abacha’s regime relentlessly. If everything is still right with Onanuga’s brain, which I want to believe, he should at least know that Pa Reuben Fasoranti is very much alive, and he’s not a man whose death can be swept under the carpet without the whole universe getting to know.
Or, should Nigerians assume that Tinubu’s sole aim of recruiting Onanuga and Bwala, is to taunt oppositions parties and Nigerians with dissenting voices?. Otherwise, where did it go wrong for Tinubu few days ago?. Once thing is certain : ” both Onanuga and Bwala didn’t write that speech, and they weren’t even privy to it before it was publicized “. The question is : ” who did, and on whose account did he/she act?”.
As for pa Reuben Fasoranti and Dr. Edwin Madunagu, I can only wish them more years on earth before they join their ancestors. Afenifere and the entire Yoruba community just lost pa Ayo Adebanjo on Feb. 14, 2025. I’m sure we all would want to have pa Reuben Fasoranti around as long as we can. He’s 99 years. Certainly, both pa Ayo Adebanjo and pa Abraham Adesanya would wish he tarries a bit more before joining them in the celestial nirvana.
(Akinropo Olufemi writes from Ibadan. He’s a writer and poet)