Nigerian journalist Sam Omatseye took to his X (formerly Twitter) account to praise President Bola Tinubu, highlighting his ability to stand throughout his October 1st Independence Day broadcast.
Omatseye emphasized that while the president remained on his feet during the address, previous presidents chose to sit, suggesting that if Tinubu had faltered, it would have been widely reported.
He wrote: “The president stood up throughout his October 1 broadcast. Few are willing to observe this. His predecessors sat. If he faltered, it would have made headlines. An upstanding delivery.”
However, not all Nigerians shared Omatseye’s enthusiasm. One user, Sai Ishaya (@Sai_Ishaya_), responded with criticism, pointing out that this praise sets an unusually low bar for leadership.
“This was 2022. We are in 2024, and this man has been president for 16 months, and we are still praising him for attaining the developmental milestone of an infant,” Ishaya posted.
He also referred to a previous 2022 post, where he noted a double standard in the way Nigerians assess their presidential candidates: “For Peter Obi, they assess competence, statistics, policies, etc. For every other candidate, as long as they can stand for five minutes without falling, that’s more than enough for them.”
The exchange has sparked a conversation around the expectations of leadership in Nigeria, with many questioning whether basic physical stamina should be the benchmark for evaluating a president’s performance.
As Nigeria navigates these turbulent times, the discourse surrounding President Tinubu’s leadership continues to evolve, reflecting a nation divided between hope for change and frustration with ongoing challenges.
