Presidential aide and APC chieftain Bayo Onanuga has come under fire after a controversial post on X (formerly Twitter) in which he appeared to downplay the significance of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s famed northern voter base in securing his 2015 and 2019 election victories.
The drama started when an X user shared a throwback video of a massive crowd at a Buhari rally in Ibadan, Oyo State, a stronghold in the South-West, suggesting that Buhari had support far beyond his northern base.
Onanuga replied:
“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 statement, perceived by many as a veiled dismissal of the core northern electorate long regarded as the bedrock of Buhari’s political rise, triggered immediate backlash. Critics slammed the comment as:
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Historically tone-deaf,
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Politically revisionist, and
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Ill-timed, coming just days after the former president’s death.
With pressure mounting, Onanuga quietly deleted the tweet, but the damage had already been done.
Public Reactions: “Not the Time for Score-Settling
Several users across X and Facebook condemned the timing of the post, accusing Onanuga of using a period of national mourning to score political points.
“This is not the time to distort facts. Buhari’s 12 million votes were consistent from 2003. That base gave him strength when elites mocked him,” one user wrote.
“Deleting the tweet won’t erase the insult,” another added. “It’s disgraceful to play regional politics over a man’s coffin.”
Others argued that Buhari’s 12 million votes, largely from the North, were not just a statistic but a political phenomenon that shaped Nigeria’s modern democracy.
Historical Context: Why the 12 Million Votes Matter
The figure — 12 million — became symbolic of Buhari’s political resilience. Even in the years he lost (2003, 2007, 2011), he maintained a solid northern support base that eventually helped him clinch the presidency on his fourth attempt in 2015.
Many analysts agree that it was this “cult-like support from the North”, combined with strategic Southern alliances (notably with Tinubu’s political machinery), that turned the tide in 2015.
To now suggest that the northern votes were overhyped, as Onanuga implied, is seen as revisionist and politically reckless, especially by those who lived through Buhari’s rise.
Criticism of Onanuga’s Role as a Presidential Aide
Beyond the content of the tweet, critics are questioning Onanuga’s judgment as a spokesperson tied to the presidency, especially at a time of national grief.
“You don’t kick dust on a man’s legacy days after his death — especially when you’re part of a government he helped build,” a former APC campaign staffer commented.
Bottom Line
The deleted tweet has become more than a social media misstep. It’s now seen as a symbol of simmering tensions within the ruling party, where legacies are being re-evaluated, alliances are shifting, and political narratives are being contested — even at the graveside.
Whether intentional or not, Onanuga’s swipe has opened old wounds and reminded Nigerians that in politics, even death doesn’t guarantee peace.
