Onanuga deleted the tweet without explanation, sparking further reactions from users who saw the move as a retreat under pressure.
Presidential aide Bayo Onanuga has been forced to delete a tweet downplaying the role of northern votes in Muhammadu Buhari’s 2015 and 2019 presidential victories.
It all started after an X user posted a video of a massive crowd at a Buhari campaign rally in Ibadan, suggesting the former president had widespread support beyond the North.
Reacting to the video, Onanuga wrote:
“A video to rejig the memory of those who claimed only Buhari’s 12 million votes gave him the presidency in 2015 and 2019.”
Following his remark, several users accused him of minimizing the well-documented electoral strength Buhari enjoyed in the northern region, often cited as a decisive factor in both elections.
As the backlash grew, Onanuga deleted the tweet without explanation, sparking further reactions from users who saw the move as a retreat under pressure.
The deleted tweet comes at a sensitive time, as the country continues to mourn the passing of the former president, who died on Sunday in London after a prolonged illness. Critics argue the presidential aide’s comment was poorly timed and unnecessarily divisive.