A political row intensified on social media after users circulated old and recent images of President Bola Tinubu sleeping at public events. This follows criticism directed at former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over a similar photograph taken at an opposition summit in Ibadan, Oyo State. The controversy began after the National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ajibola Basiru, mocked Atiku following the emergence of a photo showing him apparently asleep during the high-level opposition gathering at the weekend.
The summit, held on Saturday in Ibadan, brought together prominent opposition figures in renewed consultations aimed at building a coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections. Health official: FG working to restock COVID-19 vaccine AI-generated campaign photos stir controversy in Nasarawa Among those present were Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, and former Governor of Kwara State Abdulfatah Ahmed, alongside other political stakeholders. Reacting to the viral image, Basiru took to his official X handle to ridicule the former vice president.
“And the opposition leader slept at the all-important opposition summit,” he wrote, attaching the photograph. Supporters of the APC National Secretary’s mockery of the former Vice President also took to social media to reinforce the narrative. They described the viral photograph as symbolic and politically significant.
A user, Ojewande Taiwo, wrote: “This is the man that wants to rescue Nigeria! It’s better he rescues himself.” Another commenter, Tunde Obasemola, said: “So shall the election be lost and won while in slumber.” Thunderson Adaramola reacted with laughing emojis, further amplifying the ridicule that trailed the image online. Deji Omo Akinsola-Fakanlu offered a lighter defence, joking that Atiku was “just communing with the gods, he was not sleeping.” In a similar tone, Johnson Erayanmen advised against overinterpretation of the image, saying: “Please have some sleep, sleepless nights na water.” Bashiru’s post quickly gained traction online, sparking a wave of counter-reactions.
Other social media users pushed back by sharing archival images of President Tinubu appearing to doze at various political meetings and public engagements. Some users accused APC supporters of selective criticism, arguing that similar images involving Tinubu had previously circulated without official backlash. A user identified as SarkinEnigma wrote: “APC Bois and their leaders will try to mock others but they will end up embarrassing themselves… We have seen so many pictures of Tinubu sleeping in very important internal meetings and no one used it against him.” Another commenter, J.K Law, dismissed the controversy, stating: “Atiku, Tinubu na the same thing.” Lorenzo II Magnifico added: “Pot calling kettle black.” Oladimeji also faulted the attention given to the matter, writing: “Look at what you are reporting? You guys leave the important things and report on issues… how does this news help the nation?” In a more politically charged response, Imam Abdulhamid linked the controversy to wider governance concerns, stating: “Mock someone for sleeping, but your own principal keeps falling just like our economy… from security to the naira, everything is going down.”