Yesterday, a video featuring President Bola Tinubu asking Nigerians to exercise patience with his administration has gained widespread attention.
The video, originally posted on social media platforms X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram on August 7, 2024, quickly began to trend, with many viewers believing it was a recent message from the president.
The video shows President Tinubu urging Nigerians to remain patient as the country undergoes significant economic changes, including the removal of the fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira.
In his address, Tinubu acknowledged the difficulties these changes have brought to the populace, describing the challenges as a transition “from darkness to dawn.”
He also mentioned that the pain many Nigerians are experiencing has been exacerbated by an “avoidable lag” between the policy changes and the benefits he promises to deliver.
However, the authenticity of the video’s timing was called into question by Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.
In a post on his official X handle on the evening of August 7, 2024, Onanuga clarified that the video is not new.
According to him, the footage was from a broadcast President Tinubu made in 2023 and has been mistakenly presented as a fresh statement.
He wrote: “Trending video of President Tinubu is an old video
“A trending video of President Tinubu which came out on Wednesday is not a new video. It’s a clip from the broadcast he made last year.
“President Tinubu has not made any other public statement since his last broadcast on Sunday.”
