Tinubu Sparks Reactions After Calling Himself “Governor” at APC Campaign Launch

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has sparked reactions online after appearing to refer to himself as a governor instead of president during the inauguration of the APC Presidential Campaign Council on Wednesday.

The event took place at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja, where the President spoke about his bid for a second term.

In his remarks, Tinubu said: “Distinguished leaders of our party, all the party members, presidential campaign council, I’ve seen my friend here that I must thank. And next will be the recognition of the director-general of the presidential campaign council that will bring Governor Bola Tinubu back for a second time.”

The comment quickly drew reactions on social media, with many users pointing out the slip and reacting to it in different ways.

One user, @Mark_Lander9993, wrote: “He is the governor of Lagos state. He dey count words like someone learning to speak. And people are clapping.”

Another user, @lewis_iyaogeh, compared the moment to a recent TikTok livestream by Labor Party’s Peter Obi: “Tinubu address APC criminals for about 10 minutes, the speech was full of errors but Peter Obi was in TikTok live for over 2 hrs without error.”

@otakerioghen wrote: “Those pushing this man to us, he nor go better for all of una,” while @ade_397 reacted to the broader economic concerns raised at the event: “Na only God fit deliver us as it is now cos human tends not to learn…despite scarcity, no circulation of money, another 4 years again of hardship.”

Not everyone saw the moment as significant. @Goldman45274355 pushed back against reading too much into it, referencing similar scrutiny Tinubu faced in 2023: “Don’t be deceived oo, this was the same tactic they displayed in 2023 to make people think he won’t last long.”

As of the time of this report, the Presidency has not issued a statement addressing the comment.