Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has stirred widespread public debate following her intervention while Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, broke into a song during his address at the 10th coronation anniversary of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi.
A viral video from the event held on Sunday showed Governor Adeleke stepping up to the podium to honour the monarch and congratulate the First Lady on her newly conferred chieftaincy title, Yeye Asiwaju Gbogbo Ile Oodua. However, instead of beginning his speech immediately, the governor launched into a brief chant, drawing laughter from sections of the audience.
Moments later, Mrs Tinubu, who had just received her traditional title, approached the podium, gestured lightly to the governor and whispered to him to proceed with his address.
The gesture sparked mixed reactions across social media platforms, with critics describing it as unnecessary public interference, while others defended it as harmless and protocol driven.
Reacting to the incident, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on the Bureau of Social Services, Akintunde Bello, said the First Lady should be cautioned over public conduct at official events.
Also, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, Dele Momodu, condemned the action in a post on his Instagram page, describing it as bullying. He said the First Lady openly embarrassed a sitting governor before a global audience and stressed that she holds no constitutional executive role.
However, aides of the former Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, dismissed the criticism. Dayo Fashola described the exchange as light hearted and explained that time constraints and security logistics informed the decision. Other supporters also defended Mrs Tinubu, describing her action as respectful and necessary.
